The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-11-20
AGREES TO MAKE RECIPROCITY
TREATY EFFECTIVE.
Small VOTE CAST AGAINST
Democrats Continue Their Policy Of
Delay Until the Last
Moment.

house, by a rising vote of 1856 to Fl,
passed the bill to make effective the
Cuban reciprocity treaty. The dis
senting votes were about esqually di-
vided between republicans and demo
Gratis, but there was no record vote,
the minority having too few votes to
order the yeas and nays. The demo-
Gratis, under the leadership of Mr.. Will
liams, sought to the last to secure
amendments to the bill in accordance
with the action of the democratic eau
GUS, but were defeated steadily. Mr..
Williams made the final effort when he
tried to have the bill recommitted to
the ways and a committee with
instructions to amend, but a point OF
order under the special rule providing
for a vote on the bill without inter
vening motion was sustained.
cannon's Ruling.
MI. Cannon received the applause OF
the democratic side when he enter
tanned the appeal from his ruling made
by Mr.. Williams, the speaker saying he
preferred to err if he erred at all in
giving the house the right to express
it's will. The appeal was tabled by a
strict party vote.
The debate begun Monday was con-
tinued to within a few minutes of 4
o'clock, the time appointed to take a
vote on the final passage of the bill.
Mr.. Williams closed the debate for
his side, and made an arraignment OF
the republican policy of protection. Mr..
Mccall (rep, Mass.) made the closing
speech on the republican side. The
announcement of the passage of the
bill caused only a slight demonstra-
ton.
Mcclellan, mayor-elect of New York,
occupied the speakers chair for
a while today as chairman of the COM
mittee of the whole.
Broussard Opens Debate.
Mr. Broussard (dem., La.) opened
the debate on the Cuban bill. He
opposed the measure, and said it was
not in line with democratic tariff re-
form.
Mr.. Hepburn (rep.) followed, stating
that he would vote for the bill, but
with reluctance. He said he was not
one of those who believed he owed
Cuba anything. 'fhis country had
spent $4,000 00, 900 of $500, 900, 900 and
sacrificed many lives that Cuba might
be relieved from oppression. MI. Hep
burn believed in reciprocity-the- reci-
procity of Mckinley.
He declared that there was nothing
in McKinley's speech that differed one
iota from the established policy of the
republican party; there was absolutely
nothing in that speech to show that
Mckinley was approaching free trade.
He (Hepburn) believed in protection
as advocated by the republican party,
but there was no sanctity or sacred
ness in schedules and he cited the
number of times they had been chang
ed. He reviewed the history of tariff
legislation, comparing the balances in
favor of this country under republican
rn01i0inc uyith thNcn 1yr1a~ Ia~n0orotio
control. This country is no longer a
debtor nation, he said, and the republic
cans had changed all this.
Sulzer Favors 1t.
Sulzer (dem., N. " said he would
in the right direction.
Mr.. Watson (rep., Ind.), one of the
new members on the ways and means
committee, favored the bill.
Mr.. Williams (dem., Miss.), leader
OF the minority, answering a state
ment on the republican side that the
democrats forced the talking on this
bill, said he had offered to have a vote
on the minority amendment and the
vote on the bill without debate.
Replying to Mr.. Watson, Mr.. Viii
liams said:
Protection is a system of taxation
whereby many are robbed in order
that a few may be hot-housed by leg
islation into artificial prosperity"
Mr.. Williams charged that the re
publicans did not dare to enter on the
tariff revision for fear it would opeI
the doors to too extended a revision
The republicans had a majority IL
the house and senate and a very large