The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-02-27
The Reason Why.
r f WE MAY ACCEPT the word of
MIR. Wellman, Washington cor
IA respondent Of the Chicago Times

Mir. Welman, Washington COR
Il respondent .of the Chicago Times
Herald, an interesting story lies
behind the flop of the Republican lead
ers in congress from free trade with
Puerto Rico to differental tariff.
1t involved a scheme to drive Cuba
into the United States. There are pow
erful financial and commercial influ-
ences which have long been at work to
effect the annexation of Cuba. They
have maintained in New York a WELL
equipped literary bureau and have me-
elected no opportunity to advance the
object of their desire, and the proposi-
ton Of free trade with Puerto Rico
If Mr.. Wellman':; information be cor
rect. was one of the cleverest of their
many clever moves. AS Mr. Wellman
says, Cuba and Puerto Rico are to a
large extent competitors in the Ameri-
can market, due TO the similarity Of
their climate and production. If
Puerto Rico were given free access to
the markets of the United States, while
Cuba has to pay full tariff rates, the
former would enter upon an era of un-
paralleled prosperity while the latter
was struggling along against the ad-
verse tariff discrimination. Inevitably,
it was argued, the object lesson Of
Puerto Rico's advantage as an Ameri-
can colony would drive the people Of
Cuba into seeking the same or a more
intimate relationship to the great re-
public. The contrast would be made so
striking that even the dullest or most
Intensely patriotic Cuban must see that
the only salvation OF the island lay in
annexation. 1t is doubtful if President
Mcki';,ay fully understood the motive
be".nd the Puerto Rican free trade
proposition when he made the recon-
mendation in his message. but the men
who are interested in Cubas future
from the industrial and capitalistic
standpoint did thoroughly understand
it, The presidenc saw that the people
of Puerto Rico We're anxious to become
American citizens, that they needed an
open market here in order that they
might regain their lost prosperity, and
in good faith he declared it to be our
plain duty to give them free trade
with this country"
But Mr.. Wellman goes on to explain
how it came about that the Republican
leaders found out that the Democrats,
If the free trade idea should be adopted
intended to raise a great labor scare in
this country, telling the American
workingmen tina. free trade with
Puerto Rico meant free trade with the
Philippines and hopeless competition
against underpaid "coolie" and Malay
labor; and how they then changed
about and took W. the low tariff idea,
not as IL concession to any trust or
special interest but as an act of political
eNpediency or protection. He saws
the president appreciates the political
necessity for this apparent reversal of
policy and is favorable to the % per
cent. tariff but as "A matter of propriety
cannot make public admission of his
change of opinion. This unfortunate
complication" Mr.. Wellman adds
(which threatens the Republican ma
jority in the house with disruption and
may lead to the most serious political
consequences, is an indication of the
delicate nature of many of the new
questions arising out of the nations
new responsibilities. The president
could not foresee that recommenGa-
ton of free trade with Puerto Rico was
TO lead to such trouble nor is it likely
that the men who prepared the ground
for that recommendation ne n ,ooor, 90
whipping Cuba into annexation were
able to foresee the sort of a political
boomerang they were dealing with"
1t is no crime to change ones mind
No man is infalible. Better by far n
Willingness to correct a mistake than
sIuhhnr,n nnneiS Iancn In, AMMAN