The Washington times., 1902-03-08
Will Not Show Their Hand.

There we're about thirty-flve of the Lead
ing insurgents present at the conference
yesterday afternoon: Their chief purpose
in keeping secret their proceedings was
in order not to show their hand and give
their opponents an advantage.
a pretty thorough canvass of the situ-
alton was made, however. and the various
members present reported upon the posi-
tion of their colleagues who were not
present
The list of Republican members of the
House WAS gone over thoroughly and the
tally showed that eliminating all doubt
full members and counting only those who
were actually known TO be against the
20 per cent reduction there were Ill who
would stand by beet sugar.
In addition to these there are said to
be between twenty-five and thirty who
are still considered doubtful, and the
support of a majority of them is relied
upon to help in defeating the proposition
Of the Ways and Means Committee.
To Provide for Pairing.
The sugar men agreed TO see to it that
those who were opposed to the reduction
and who could not be present at the con-
ference on Tuesday night were properly
paired. They will also insist upon an
equal division of the time of debate be-
tween the two sides of the proposition.
One hundred and one is the number
which constitutes ma jority of the Re
pu5licans OF the House The faction
which is able to rally this number to its
support will win the fight. The sugar
GI IaTrT
In the meantime the members of the
Ways and Means Committee are putting
forth strenuous efforts to keep the party
in line for their reduction proposition.
The insurgents. however. only laugh at
the crack of the party whip and refuse
to obey.
Opposed to Concessions.
An Ohio member who intends to vote
to sustain the committee said yesterday
that he did so merely as matter of party
discipline. Personally, he said. he fay-
ored making no tariff concessions to
Cuba He added further that he did not
believe more than one or two of the
members of the committee actually be-
Jieyed in the proposition which they are
advocating, but that they were doing it
to carry out the recommendations of the
Presidents message and his wishes in
the matter.
He thought the proposition would be
defeated. but stated that he would sup
port it because it was advocated by the
House leaders, whose wishes should be
respected.
AS an indication OF the situation it
may be stated that fourteen of the
twenty-six Pennsylvania Republicans are
said TO be pledged TO vote against the
Ways and Means Committee. Three or
four others are still in doubt.
Yet it is upon the Eastern members
that the committee largely depends 10
carry through its project.
At the conference two propositions were
laid down and accepted.
1t was agreed that a vote should be
forced at the next conference on Tuesday
night, and secondly, that no action should
be taken on the pending propositions.
In other words, Cuba will have to shift
for herself unless her friends can ad-
vance some proposition which can be
adopted without injuripg American inter
ests and without violating the principle
of protection.
steering committee consisting Of
Messrs. Tawney, of Minnesota; Little
field, of Missouri; Crumpacker of Indi-
Rna; Dick, OF Ohio. and Mercer. OF Ne
braska. WAS appointed to have charge of
, the work OF counting noses and whipping
into line.
Mr.. William Alden Smith, of Michigan,
whose enquiries OF Representative Dali
zelI at the conference Thursday night
eiicited the response that If he tBepre-
sentative DaizeiD came from beet sugar
State he would stand where the beet
sugar men do, was summoned to the
White House yesterday. He declined to
give out the result OF his interview with
the President.
AS soon as he reached the Capitol the
conference OF his fellow members from