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JANUARY 26, 1906
The Commoner.
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Washington, D. C., Jan. 22. The insurgent
republicans of the house missed a great oppor
tunity to smite the sugar trust and at the same
time do wonders, from their standpoint, for the
beet sugar industry, which they proclaimed from
the house-tops would be ruined if the Philippine
tariff bill should become a law. They did not
oven have the nerve, the spunk, or whatever you
may call it, to stand up for their own proposition
made apparently in good faith to the democrats
and which could easily have been carried out.
The poor insurgents have, therefore, come out
of the conflict with anything but a creditable
record. Their failure to keep a secret agree
ment that was made on the floor wiU surely
haunt most of them in the approaching campaign
if it be true that the beet sugar interests really
fear Filipino competition as much as many of the
orators insist is the case. Before the Philippine
bill was taken up for discussion it was generally
conceded that the only possible way to defeat
it was for the insurgents and the democrats to
unite. Such a combination was undoubtedly
strong enough to overpower the organization and
administer a blow that would have dazed and
infuriated Speaker Cannon and his assistant man
agers and kept them in bad humor for the bal
ance of the session.
At first there did not seem the remotest pos
sibility that the insurgents and the democrats
could come to any agreement. The democratic
position was for absolute free trade with the
islands, on the theory that if the Philippines are
recognized as United States territory no duty
should be levied on sugar, tobacco, rice or any
Other products. In other words, the islands
should be placed on a footing similar to that of
Porto Rico. The democrats, of course, knew in
advance that the republicans would vote down
by an- overwhelming majority this proposition.
The next best thing, In the opinion of the demo
crats, Was to accept the 25 per cent duties in .
the organization bill, being the nearest road to
ultimate-free trade. A few of the democrats from
southern states in which sugar and rice are pro
duced were out of line with their party asso
ciates on both of these propositions. They held
"out for the highest possible duties on the coin
'modities named, and were aunted by their asso
ciates with being as much alarmed as the beet
sugar insurgents on the opposite side of the
.Ball.
On the day that the bill was taken up for
discussion under the five, minute rule and was
open for amendment several of the Insurgent re
publicans early in the proceedings went over to
the democratic leaders for a conference. The
movement, was voluntary on their part. They
"liad known for a week or more that it was the
"intention of Hon. Champ Clark, of Missouri, to
offer at the proper time an amendment cutting
in half, at least, the differential on refined sugars
imported into this country. It had-been fre
quently suggested to the insurgents that if they
would band together solidly and throw their
r strength in favor of such an amendment the
democrats would be only too glad to join them
in the movement. But not until the very last
..day that the bill was before the house could
these insurgents, so-called, be made to realize
ithe power that was within their reach. It dawned
'.upon them suddenly, and they were apparently
i tickled over the situation. Why, actually the
i suggestion was advanced that the effect would
''be all the more stunning to let the amendment
' be offered ry one of the prominent men in the
!: insurgent ranks. Mr. Clark cheerfully consent
s' ed to step aside, only too willing that the friend3
If of beet sugar might have the chance to make
''themselves solid with their constituencies, but
;. they would also have it go out to the country
Hhat the sugar trust hail received a staggering
i'blow for once in the popular branch of congress.
Slavery democrat stood ready to vote for tho
j. amendment. There was not oven a protest from
: the Louisiana delegation certainly the most
"touchy" gentlemen in tne liouse if any attempt
lis made to change laws that may directly or in
directly injure the raw product.
$ William Alden Smith, of Michigan, per-
were fiery and entertaining. The gallery auditors
enjoyed the performance greatly. The talk kept
getting hotter and hotter. Leader Payne of the
organization forces was not civil to Mr. Smith.
On the contrary he was insulting in the extreme
in many of his replies. That pleased tho
insurgents who kept running over to
the democratic side to report how mad the beet
sugar apostles were becoming.
Further along in the proceedings one of tho
most prominent democrats went over to the re
publican side of tho hall and wanted to know
why the insurgents did not offer the proposed
amendment relating to the differential.
"Oh, it's not quite time yet," was the reply.
"Just wait a little longer. Our fellows aro be
coming madder and madder. They will soon
reach the boiling point, we'll then spring the
amendment, and it will be put through with a
rush if you democrats will stand nobly by your
guns."
Actually some of the insurgents predicted
it would be what they called a "killing." Well,
the "killing" did not materialize. The' truth of
the matter is the insurgents weakened. They
showed tho white feather in every sense of tho
word. Their failure to meet the situation after
the bold and defiant attitude assumed earlier
in the day was both perplexing and disgusting
to the democrats. Many of these same insurgents
have, in campaigns that are past tmd gone, de
nounced the sugar trust in- the most savage
terms. It will doubtless be their song again
this year, but it will pay the democratic candi
dates for congress throughout all the west to
have handy the record of the proceedings of the
house of representatives for the ICth day of Jan
uary, 1906. Whenever a republican mounts a
platform and gets in a dig at the sugar trust it
.will be instructive to the voters to have their
memories freshened. They will like to hear once
more that it finally devolved upon Mr. Clark, of
Missouri, to offer the amendment relating to the
differential on rdflned sugars. That the full in-lent-
of j- the Missourian's efforts may be clearly
understood Mr. Clark's brief explanation follows:
"The total differential on refined sugars im
. ported into this country amounts to $5.30 a ton.
This amendment cuts off $2.50 of that differential
and" leaves $2.80. If I had followed my own
inclination I would have offered an amendment
to cut it all off; but yielding to the judgment of
some of my friends I have offered tho amendment
which, takes off $2.50 of that differential.
"They say, and therefore I say, expressing
their opinion, that taking half of it off no possible
injury can be done"lo th,e producer of raw sugar
in the United States, and still gives the American
market to the American manufacturer. But it
does reduce the price of refined sugar to the
American consumerr and, so that you can not have
any doubt about it, I will tell how. Last year
we imported and consumed 2,967,160 tons. Tho
reduction that this amendment gives would
amount to $$6,917,905 a year that is, it cuts off
that much annually of ihe enormous and unjust
profits of the sugar trust and gives it to the 83,
,000,000 American consumers of refined sugar.
"Now, gentlemen, not only on the democratic
side, but the republican side and I would not
say anything to hurt your feelings, because I
like you all time and time again on that side
of the house and in republican stump speeches
and in republican editorials we have heard the
American sugar trust denounced in tho severest
terms x that a man can pronounce in the English
language. Now, you have an opportunity of prov
ing your faith by our works, and if you vote
against this amendment, forever and eternally
hereafter hold your peace about the extortion of
the sugar trust."
The insurgents almost to a man "skedaddled."
Their big talk amounted to nothing. Evidently
their utterances on the floor were intended mere
ly as "grand-stand" plays with a view of making
tho people in the beet sugar districts believe that
they had almost wallowed in blood for the sole
benefit of that great and growing industry. Had
they stood by their own proposition made to the
democrats and perfectly acceptable to the latter
Leader Payne, at the conclusion of the roll call,
would undoubtedly have moved a reconsideration.
Filibustering would have been precipitated such
as has not been witnessed on, the floor of the
house in many years. The republican organiza
tion rather than injure or offend the gigantic
sugar trust would have resorted to any exped
iency. The bill would have been withdrawn at
tho most convenient opportunity, and no further
attempt made in this congress to Interfere with
the existing duty upon Philippine sugar, tobacco
pr rice. Now tho whole question comes up again
in the senate. The measure will doubtless pass
that body. It is too soon to say whether or
not there will be an extended discussion.' Henry
T. Oxnard and his friends are lively fighters.
They seem never to give up until apparently all
hope is gone. .
Tho democrats are growing more hopeful as
tho session advances that their prospects of con
trolling the next house of representatives aro
brighter than they have anticipated. The 'gen
eral feeling, too, is that a revision of the Dlngley
tariff will bo one of the great Issues In tho com
ing campaign. Tho republican organization
know this to bo a fact, but they will not admit
there is any public demand for even the slight
est readjustment of the existing schedules.
Tho next performance on the part of house
republican Insurgents will come off when the
joint statehood bill is brought before that body.
A new alignment of forces seems to bo going
on at this Writing. By that is meant that quite
a number who cut loose from the regular organi
zation on the Philippine matter will return to
the reservation. Others who cared nothing for
the beet sugar Industry talk now as If their sense
of fair play will not permit them to support any
measure that proposes to make one state of the
present territories of Arizona and Now Mexico.
But just what will be accomplished by the ad
ministration in whipping the "kickers" Into line
cannot be accurately predicted at this time.
The administration people are undoubtedly firm
in their demand that the Hamilton idea shall
prevail. The republican members of thehousc
rules committee are equally firm in Insisting that
the bill when brought up shall not bo open to
amendment. It is to be passed as reported if
they arox 'able to control tho situation, A great
many of the republicans never before known to
rebel think this fs an unwarranted proceeding.
Men from down east even take this position. Out
west tho feeling Is intense in some states, if the
attitude of certain insurgents is a correct indi
cation of the situation. The house democrats
will solidly oppose the joint statehood idea. If
they aro eventually beaten in that body the con
test will be carried to the senate. Over there
gag rules do not prevail. Nor is any limit placed
upon debate.
These are busy days for the genial, rotund
secretary of war. In addition to his arduous
duties at the department Judge Taft is' dancing
attendance upon congress. He is asked to ap
pear before committees to oxplain this or that
matter oftener than any member of the Roosevelt
cabinet. Tho investigation by the senate com
mittee of affairs relating to tho Panama canal
will entail upon Secretary Taft additional labor
hardly counted upon by him this wintqr. The
president, however, is primarily responsible for
this Inquiry. If he had known that his special
message in which he resented in such sharp
language thocriticisms by certain writers of the
administration policy down on tho isthmus, would
have brought about this investigation, he might
have .paused before sending it in.
Secretary Taft tells me that it is his purpose
to furnish the committee with all tho information
possible concerning the work of constructing the
canal. He is also fair enough' to concede that
the democrats, in their demand for the Investiga
tion, have not manifested the slightest disposi
tion to embarrass the administration, or to in any
way impede the progress of affairs down on the
Isthmus. "
Secretary Taft says that not many days ago
Senator Tillman dropped into his office at tho
department The secretary has but recently com
menced to wear eye-glasses. After greeting the
South Carolinian Judge Taft pointed to his
glasses and exclaimed:
"Ah, see what you have brought me to, Sen
ator Tillman! Before you "commenced to stir me
up over the Panama canal I had no need for
these. Unless you let up on mo I may soon, be
wrinkled and gray."
"If- those glasses," answered Senator Till
man, "will enable you to always see the con-"
stitution in your actions as secretary of war I
' will feel that I have- performed one good act for
our country." ALFRED J. STOFER.
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