Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-18
They Show Strong Opposition to
Free Trade With Porto Rico.
ARE GOING TO MAKE A HARD FIGHT
Tobacco Growers Are Expected to
Make Common Cause with the
Sugar Men-Other Interests
May Join the Fight.

washington, Jan. lO.-ArOuSed Oy
the threat of an inroad of Porto Rican
free sugar, the American beet-sugar
association has moved upon congress
in force. This organization represents
the growers of beets and manufacture
ers of sugar turnout the west. II. T..
ONnard, president of the association, is
in Washington to oppose the admission
free of duty of sugar from Porto Ri
co. He has had informal conferences
with Chairman Payne, of the ways and
means committee, and with senator's
on the finance committee and commit
tee on Pacific Islands and Puerto Rico.
In the talks which he has already had,
and which are preliminary to formal
representations to be made to both
houses of congress by the association,
President OXnard was very emphatic
in his protest against 'the proposed
menace to the American protective pol
icy"
'.If President Mckinley" said Mr..
Oxnard, lis going to drop protection
to our own people, who are entitled to
it, in order to give it to carpet baggers
and spectators, we want to know
what has caused the change of front.
We propose to make as hard fight
as we know how to make against the
enactment of the Presidents recon-
mendation regarding free trade with
Porto Rico. We are coming to WASH
ing to carry this fight to the end, and
we propose to call the attention of
the country to the injustice which is
offered to a worthy and extensive
American industry by the Presidents
recommendation.
The tobacco growers will have repre-
sentatives here in few days, repre-
senting not only New England, but
Wisconsion, Ohio, Kentucky and the
Southern states. They are expected
to make common cause with the beet
sugar men, who come from several
states of the far west, and to join
hands with certain fruit growers OF
California and perhaps some of the
representatives of special agricultural
interests on the southern Atlantic sea-
board. Whether the combination will
make any trouble for the administra-
ton managers who are endeavoring to
put the presidents suggestions into
effect remains to be seen.
A similar coalition of other interests
is vigorously fighting the reciprocity
treaties now pending in the senate.
The defeat of the treaties is already
predicted. The opposition was SO
strong as to discourage Special Com
missioner Kasson, who negotiated the
treaties, and he has abandoned further
efforts in their behalf and has gone
to Florida to recuperate his health.
The French treaty was the principal
bone of contention, being opposed by
a number of industries said to be men-
aced by the proposed reduction of du-
ties.
The Argentine treaty brought the
wool growers to swell the ranks of the
opposition, and the agricultural inter-
ests menaced by the several West In
dies treaties also got into line.
The French treaty reductions in
duty, amounting from S to 20 per cent,
were proposed upon several scores of
articles, the products of small manu-
facturers in this country. These in
dustries are scattered thruout the New
England states, New York and New
Jersey, and as soon as the provisions
of the treaty We're made public com
bination was effected among them
which resulted in presenting formida-
bic opposition to the treaty.
The treaty specifically excepted
boots, shoes and manufactures of
leather; articles made of cast iron and
a dozen or more other arti-
cles from the list of goods
which were to be admitted
into France with lower rate of duty.
Therefore, both the export and import
features of the treaty were open to OBJ
lection, and the American manufac-