Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1902-03-14
FOURTH CAUCUS FRulTLEss.
Another Conference OF House Repub-
fcans on the Reciprocity Question
rs Called for Next Tuesday.

rs Called for Next Tuesday.
Washington, March 12.-The fourth
conference of the house republicans
on the reciprocity question was fruit-
less, like those that preceded it, the
conference adjourning at midnight
until next Tuesday. The victory waa
with the advocates of reciprocity, as
the motion to adjourn was carried
72 to 53-after motion to amend the
motion to make it sine die adjourn
ment, offered by Mr.. Littlefeld, of
Maine, one of the leaders of the op-
position, had been voted down-61 to
40. The motion to adjourn was made
by Speaker Henderson, and the op-
ponents of reciprocity claimed after
adjournment that some of their
friends did not care to offend the
speaker by declining to heed his ap-
peal for a further conference.
Earlier in the evening the oppon-
ents of reciprocity had insisted on q
vote upon the main proposition. The,
session was a stormy one. Mr.. Sib-
ley, of Pennsylvania, offered COM
promise proposition for reciprocity
arrangement to last until December
/, 1908, which he claimed had the ap-
proval and endorsement of President
Roosevelt. He also said he had as
surance that if the house granted
20 per cent. concession the senate
would not increase it.
Representative Long, of Kansas,
member of the ways and means COM
mittee, opened with an exhaustive
argument in favor of the 20 per cent.
concession advocated by the ways
and means committee.
He argued that the maintenance Of
a protective tariff was not involved
in the proposition of the ways and
means committee, but that the policy
of reciprocity was. "The defeat of
this BILL" said he, "means that the
republican party has refused to fol-
low the leadership of Blaine, of Nc
Kinley and of Roosevelt, and it would
mean that reciprocity was no longer
part of the republican faith"
When Mr.. Long finished speaking
Mr.. Tayler, of Ohio, presented pro-
test against the plan of the ways and
means committee. The protest was
drafted at the conference which the
republicans opposed to reciprocity
held Monday night. 1t was in the
nature of a manifesto setting out the
grounds on which their opposition
was based, being largely an amplif-
cation of the contention that a reduc-
tion of the duty on Cuban sugar in
volved a relaxation of the protective
principle. In lieu of the Tawney
proposition for rebate Mr.. Tayler
offered the following resolutions:
"First-That we reaffirm our ad-
herence to the republican national
platform of 1896, insuring adequate
protection to the cane and beet sugar
industries in the United States, and
to the policy of reciprocity as de-
clared in our platform of 1900.
''Second-That we have maintained,
and will continue to faithfully dis
charge the obligations to Cuba as
sumed by virtue of the treaty of
Paris and the Platt amendments, and
that we favor such commercial
agreements with her as her govern
ing to make and which will be in har-
mony with our national policy OF pro-
lection and reciprocity, and
"Third-That no further action be
taken respecting the proposition to
reduce the tariff on Cuban products
coming into this country"
Mr.. jenkins, of Wisconsin, ad-
vanced the novel theory that Cuba
was now, and had been since the
treaty of Paris, under the sovereign
ty of the United States. His conten-
tion was that Cuba was United States
| territory; that the people of Cuba
might be permitted to erect govern
ment. but not one of sovereignty.
William Alden Smith, of Michigan,
made vigorous speech opposing the
| ways and means plan. He attacked
the house leadership and announced
he would not follow it when it STUN
bled, as it was now doing. He cited
the records of members of the ways
and means committee to show they
formerly opposed what they were
now urging.
| Grant Srnrur, Anr