The Hawaiian gazette., 1901-12-17
FIGHT OVER CUBA.

| Among the citizens - this Territory
,rr many who have not beer Auicr.-
cans for a sufficiently long time % per.
init them To get the proper perspective.
Those there are who accept the pro-
nouncements OF the first message OF
! President Roosevelt as law in itscif,
I but they appear to forget that there Is
a large and peculiar body which stands
between recommendations and law. be-
tween the promise of the head of the
party and fulfiment by another branch
of government.
The message of President Roosevelt
| Is an able document and sets nth
clearly the views OF the executive as u
what would be the ultimate end in coed
government for the nation. Should ne
| find. however, that the developments
| of the next month indicate that ii
would be better policy to change a
view upon any point comprcho ndCd in
his message. 1t would be Idle to argie
that even he would regard his message
| as dicta on all points of policy. That
there are two views he himself recCC-
nizes in the paragraphs regarding
relations with Cuba. The President a.
ways was an earnest partisan OF the
Cubans. and was one OF the enthusiast
tic ones who never was able to see that
there was any guile in the heirs 70 the
Pearl of the Antilles. So it was that
the service of the President in The field
vas one full not only OF intense action,
but AZ well OF sympathy for the people
who received the direct ben afIts from
fv,Na NE ha ,nl sat
! It Is but natural, then. that at this.
the first opportunity which he has to
show great interest in the people. that
ne should move to give to Free Cuba
al! the advantages which come from
close relations with the great republic.
But there Is side to the matter which
It is not well to overlook before the
business men of the Territ ,ry give
themselves up to gloomy forebodings I,
/, not disloyalty to the President to say
that all the reforms which ne advocates
will not be enacted into law. The pro-
|nouncement of the chief executive as
to reciprocity is as strong as that upon
Cuba or exclusion. Yet in the telc-
grams from Washington 50 steadfast
supporter of the government as Sena
tor George G.. Perkins. of California, de-
IcIares that he believes there will be no
faction upon any Of the reciprocity
treaties, and especially that vita
France. and quotes the very words Of
the President in support of his position
against them.
While the newspapers from the Ma
tiohal Capital are not CT as recent date
as those from the coast, th0rn is In
them much which affords to us. At this
distance, a sidelight upon the Views
with which members have rom. 20 the
present session Of Congress The fol-
lowing quotation from the n2ws col
umns of the Stnr, of Washington. would
indicate that the question IF what Is
to be done for cuba has been thought
out for themselves by many members.
and they do not give opinions which
should be other than reassuring to the
Ireonle OF Hawaii:
The. element of interest in the situa ton
Is the fact that this disposition is enter
ta!ned by some Senators who have here
Itofore been recognized vas the staunchest
advocates Of the protective tariff system.
They declare their attitude in this case
to be consistent. however, and explain 1t
on the ground that present concess' ons
would be the lesser of two evls-that If
something isn't done for the Cubans, an
nexation is inevitable and free trade
tolcrable to the protectionsts
1t is said that it will be contendea by
some Senators that it Is not ncCpsea AIRY
to wait for the establishment OF a Cuban
government: that Congress can pass a
resolution amending the Dinglcy act so
as to provide that sugar imported from
Cuba shall pay 20 per cent less duty than
other sugars, and that Cuban tobacco
shall be given a discount. 1t Is Gained
"A IA. oh,
noNious to the most favored nation"
clauses in treaties with foreign countries
from the fact that Cuba Is still the ward
or this government and that we can
regulate tariff arrangements for the de-
tendency
The intimation that a proposition of the
nature of the foregoing is likely to he
made. means, 1t is said, that If such
tariff concessions are attempted one of
the bitterest fractional fights the repub-
lican party has ever engaged in will be
witnessed this winter. The little furry
over the Porto Rican tariff will not be a
circumstance to II.
The American Protective Tariff League
and the high protectionists generally are
absolutely set against any concession to
Cuba. Their opposition Is centered
against reduction of the sugar tariff ana
the duties on tobacco, but they claim
that the principle of protection is the
main stake. They do not believe that
concessions are necessary to obviate pos
sible annexation; they think the spirit OF
protection to home producers prevailing
In this country will keep Cuba out of
!, the Union.
/. They have won over to their side the
friends of the beet sugar growers of the
= west and tobacco raisers of every sec
ton, and are prepared to make a stin
HON in