The San Francisco call., 1903-12-13
BILL IMPERILS
BEET INDUSTRY
Senator Foster Says Cuban Re
ciprocity Would Drive Sugar
Producers Out of Business
CUBA TO CONTROL MARKET
Competition With the Islands
Cheap Labor Will Be Dis
astrous to American Growers

/ WASHINGTON, Dec. 12.-The Senate
spent more than five hours discussing
the Cuban reciprocity bill to-day Fos-
ter of Louisiana led the discussion and
occupied the greater part Of the day
with an argument in opposition to the
would greatly injure if it did not de-
stroy the sugar growing industry of the
United States.
Senator Depew on the Republican
side and Senator Clay on the Demo-
cratic side supported the bill as a
measure in the interest of both coun-
tries. Senator Clay said that he ac-
cepted it as a provision for the reduc-
tion of duties on the part of both coun-
tries. \ s4
Foster opposed the bill on the ground
that tits<enactment into law would prove
injurious to sugar producing and other
important interests OF the United
States. The Senator spoke Of the ap-
pearance of Thurber of New York be-
fore the Ways and Means Committee,
and declared it was subsequently de-
veloped that he was in the pay of the
MILITARY GONcIHOI VI OuOds
WRONGFUL USE OF MONEY.
The Senator added as his belief that
the money Of the Cubans was used for
the wrongful purpose of misstating the
facts. In this same connection he spoke
of Thurber as having in his pockets the
money of Havemeyer for the purpose
of reaching "the best thought" to use
Thurber's words.
Senator Foster said the sugar beet
was the natural enemy of the refining
trust and that the effect of the cuban
bill would be to injure this growing
enemy of the trust.
"Cuba is competent. within the IRE
of the treaty. said Foster, ito make
all the sugar this country needs. II
can make sugar more cheaply, ana the
reduction which is made in this treaty
means the slow but sure death OF the
beet industry and the certain death OF
the cane industry of my State. All
DEVELOPMENT in this country VIII De
checked. We will never be able to get
canitaI 70 invest in beet sugar plants
IN tho West. in the face of the show
inp that can be made in Cuba.
NEWLANDS ANSWERS DEPEW'e
Denaw enumerated the revolutions in
cuba and said that in every one Oh
these the United States had mad a
hand.
"And now" said the speaker the
Senators who have spoken on the otner
side have said that whatever we nave
owed to Cuba we paid when we made
the island a self-sustaining nation anu
that If anything is owing it is the graf
itude Cuba should feel for the assist
ance given, by the United States.
Teller~ declared that Cuba was not a
dependency He said the fact that
treaty with Cuba is now pending is
nroof that it is absolutely independent
IT Is time that the people OF CUBA
should know that we were not trying
to control their conduct, except in their
interest.
Newlands of Nevada, replying to De-
pew, said the planters of Cuba and the
Americans going there would gain con-
troll of the island; that Cuba, without
restricting immigration laws, would oe
The refuge of the refuse labor of the
world-not slaves, but serfs, he de-
clared, laboring for the great syndi-
Gates which would control them. The
only way to Americanize the island.
Newlands said, was to take it into the
Union as speedily as possible.
Clay favored the measure. He cnn-
tended that the sole issue invoIvei was
the reduction of the tariff between the
governments of Cuba and the Emitted
States.
DEMOCRATS GIVE UP FIGHT.
The Democratic Senators held a
spirited caucus to-day to discuss the
advisability of attempting to amend
the Cuban reciprocity bill. They. prae-
tically reached the conclusion not to
offer any amendments to the Cuban
reciprocity-bin when it is voted on in
the Senate next Wednesday, The eau
n11s WAS called at the instnn..e of The