Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-11-19
5sTH CONGRESS.
Continued from page ~

results from the 40 per cent. reduction
on the cotton goods schedule in the
Cuban treaty was the reason for his
support. There are other interests in
volved in the treaty besides sugar. The
South, he said, had increased the num-
Der OF her cotton spindles in the last
two years three times the increase of
spindles in Great Britain and New
England combined. Commercial ex-
pansion of our foreign trade is what
we need and must have. The isthmian
canal is our earnest hope"
Loud, Rep. Mich. speaking in oppo-
sition to the bill. said the adoption of
the Cuban measure would jeopardize
the home sugar industry; would retard
and impede the growth of that indus
try and lessen the revenues by $l0,-
100000.
McMorran, Rep. Mich, who also OPP
posed the bill, said the Republicans
had joined hands with Democrats to
pass this BILL which he characterized
as a free trade measure-tariff for rev.
enue only.
Fordney. Rep, Mich, vigorously OPP
posed the measure, as an internal
bill, which he said would wipe out the
sugar industry in Michigan. He re-
viewed the history of the beet sugar
industry and pointed out how, in his
opinion, it would be injured by the
passage of the bill. Continuing, he
said:
Some one has said that it makes no
difference whether you put this meas
ure into law or not. If that is so, why
q af
nearly two years ago? Why was that
-Here Mr.. Fordney used adjectives
which are considered libellous in most
ewspapers)-Thurber here? Why has
he been here. as he has, sneaking
around this Capitol ever since I have
been in Congress-who afterward ad-
mitted that he was paid afterward by
the Sugar Trust and lied before the
committee on ways and means when
the gentleman from Minnesota (Tawn-
cyl asked him if he had received any
money from Havemeyer of the Sugar
Trust in any way, shape or manner and
he said no, but few days later. wher
placed on oath, testified that he had
received money from Havemeyer and
also testified that he had received
money directly from Maj. Gen. Wood,
military governor Of Cuba
Fordney said he wanted to criticise
Major General Wood, for it has beer
proved that he had extracted from
these poor starving Cubans" $4,000
which he had paid to Thurber to in
1uence legislation.
"Oh, what action by a high Official
continued Fordney. HE claimed thai
the Cubans were starving and ther
reached his long fingers into the Cubar
treasury and handed out $4,000 to this
- -" (and here Mr.. Fordney calico
names which might be considered Ii.
bellous uttered anywhere save i'm Con.
gress.)
Fordney said Gen. Wood had testified
before a Senate committee that he had
searched the whole island and that al
the sugar he could find that belonged
to the trust was 1885 tons.
"A few days later Mr.. Havemeyer tes-
tilted that the trust had $4,000 tons o.
sugar in Cuba. Wood only miss
ed it by 10000 tons. The average
American soldier is a better marksmar
than that. I could beat it myself
Fordney said the government of Cubs
had $4,0OO.00O in it's treasury and was
better off than other governments if
their debts We're paid. The present bill
was to benefit prosperous Cuba al the
expense of the farmers of the United
States
Fordney said that with the reductiC Of
the tariff on sugar which would follow
this hill the trust at its will would reduce
the price of sugar to a point with which
the beet sugar manufacturers could not
compete, and when they had crushed
them out raise the price. Speaking OF
beet sugar production he said: What
they want is to wipe this out. They have
come into the state of Michigan and have
become interested in 10 of our 20 factories
and what for? They were afraid of that
competitor. 1t is cheaper to go there and
buy up those factories and sell them for
scrap iron and get the benerit of the cnor
nous sum that would come to them
through the benefits of this measure thar
it is to fight this competition
Bell, Dem, Cal, followed in opposition
to the bill
Gardner, Rep, Mich. favored the bill
burgess. Dem. Texas, characterized the
bill as an outrage. and said his party
could not hope for success at the polls
next year, if it continued the policy OF
making tariff agreements affecting the
agricultural and stock interests of this
Reading an extract from an article
written by Thomas 3. Reed Burgess said
This simply means stripped of all verb
iage and the hare facts stated. that $50
600 appropriated from the Cuban funds OH
vouchers issued by Leonard Wood. en-
dorSed by the war department of this ad-
mlnistration, reciting on their faces that
they were for the purpose of influencing
public opinion in the United States In IA
vor of the bill.
No wonder post office thievery obtains
in the land when such acts as that can BE-
notoriously done in open sunlight and no.
bodX comments upon such political thiv-
cry
Giilett. Rep. Mass. said the treatment
of Cuba by the treaty was the ideal wav
to treat all dependencies Of the United
States. which are not integral parts OF the
United States.
Sha froth. Dem, Col. added his opposi-
ton to the blll, saving it was unDemo
cratic and un-Rcpuhlican and frauyht
with danger to American industries
The House, ut p. NJ, adjourned