Omaha daily bee., 1906-01-14
LIMIT TO SUGAR IMPORTS
Fearing Defeat on Philippine Tariff Bta,
Growers Offer oOmpromi,s.
cRosvtNoR WILLING TO ACCEPT PLAN
President Roosevelt Says IL IL n New
Ides-Congressman Norris Makes
vigorous speech I'm oppo-
sition TO RiII.
cFrom a star Correspondent

CFrom a STAFF Correspondent
WASHINGTON, Jan. 13.-(Special Tele-
gram 1.-The beet sugar people, realizing
that they lack votes enough to defeat the
pending Philippine tariff BILL although the
most conservative estimate gives them
seventy-five republican votes in opposition
to the measure, have sprung a compromise
proposition which gained great Roadway
today. This proposition is to limit the
importation of Philippine sugars to 10000
tons and to reduce the tariff on this
amount to % per cent as contemplated In
the bill and all tonnage above that named
to pay rs per cent of the Dingley tariff
rate; this law to continue in effect until
1909 when all importations of sugar from
the Philippines shall pay duty as now
charged.
This compromise was presented to Gem
eral Grosvenor, member of the ways and
means committee and one of the advocates
of the pending bill. who said he would
be perfectly willing to accept the amend
ment il Mr. Payne, chairman, would
favor it.
The interests opposed to the bill under
consideration, which include the beet
sugar. cane sugar and tobacco people
have put in a busy day and made con-
siderable Roadway in their scheme to pad
the bill with amendments so that It will
"stand without being hitched," should 1t
ever become law
Leavitt Argues with President.
| In this connection II. G. Leavitt, presi-
dent of the Ames, Neb., sugar beet fac
tory, land owner and irrigation canal
builder, called upon President Roosevelt
| today. It is needless to say Mr.. Leavitt
is fighting the Philippine tariff bill. He
| told the president he was pulling down
with one hand what he sought to build
up with the other; that in his advocacy of a
reduction of the existing duty on Philip
pine sugars he was jeopardizing the sue
cess of the great government projects
which, owing to the cost OF putting the
| water on the land, necessitated a value
| for irrigated lands that could only be OBJ
| tanned and sustained through intensive
farming; and that the raising of the sugar
beet alone rendered this value possible in
the arid west.
| Mr.. Leavitt then raised the question with
the president of limiting the amount of
sugar imported from the Philippines, on
| which the reduction would apply, to fig
ure far in excess of what Secretary Taft
| says the Filipinos are capable OF produ-
cling. This, the president said, was a new
idea and One to which he had not given
any thought. On the broader question
| the president stated he was satisfied that
| the bill was along right lines and that It
should be passed. Mr.. Leavitt left for
| home tonight.
| Norris Gets a Hearing.
| Judge Norris of the Fifth district today
placed himself in opposition to the Philip
pine tariff bill, in a speech that commanded
| the attention of a large proportion of the
house. Although it was late in the after
noon when Mr.. Norris was recognized and
the house had grown tined of whole days
| talk, he was listened to most attentively
for hesgave utterance to a number of new
thoughts. Among other things, Mr.. Norris
said that while official life was counted
sweet he would be untrue to his honest
convictions and he believed to the inter-
ests of his constituents If he would sit still
and not raise his voice in opposition to a
measure which he denominated as both I'M
American and unrepublican. II, he said, by
this action his constituency decided to leave
him at home he would have the satisfac-
ton of having expressed his honest convic-
tons on the pending measure. Mr.. Norris
said that apparently the only way to bene-
fit the Filipino, so far as the democratic
viewpoint went, was to give him independ-
ence, and he asked the question:: Why don't
we do 1t? Sentiment, he declared, was a
good thing, but 1t should be given to the
American farmer and the American wage
Garner in the first instance.
II presume, in order to get sentiment
from the leaders in charge of this meas
ure," said Judge Norris. sarcastically, I'VE
must throw away our clothing. learn to
talk Tagalog and appear in fig leaf gar
ments in order to get recognition" which
brought down the house.
Another of his expressions which called
forth applause, especially from opponents
Of the bill. was the statement that the bill
was not properly named, and should be en-
titled IAN act designed to menace Ameri-
can Industries and enrich the American
Sugar trust"
Mr.. Norris said that until the agitation
for the Philippine tariff bill had grown to
its present proportions, he knew that q
proposition had been made to erect a beef
sugar factory at North Platte and one ir
the Republican valley, but that these pro.
jects had now been abandoned. He said
he was opposed to the bill because 1t wa:
a free trade measure, and that 1t wa:
against the principles of protection. which
had made our nation great. our peopl,
prosperous and our children happy"
south Platte Votes Elect Goss.
Senator Willard today presented to thu
president a letter of recommendation
signed by every member of the Nebrasks
delegation asking for the appointment o
Charles A. Goss of Omaha as United State
district attorney.
The president in reply stated that MI
4 Goss' name would go to the senate Mon
day for confirmation and congratulated tn
delegation on the expeditions and har
monious way in which the succession I
Judge Baxter had been settled.
Today two or three members of the Ne
braska delegation were inclined to dis
cuss yesterdays caucus whereby Cos
secured a majority of the delegation fc
district attorney. Strange 1t may al
pear, some of the members OF the Sout
Platte delegation. having no candidate
their own. voted for the Omaha man. B,
in every one of the four ballots take
the name of some South Platte man turns
up for the place. As all ballots were 8
cret, it is impossible to state who ca
these ballots. but the fact remains TIL
Mr.. Goss was elected by South Plat
votes. w. w. Young of stanton receiv,