The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1901-11-07
CUBAN ANNEXATION
NOT A PARTY ISSUE
Detroit Tiibune.)


Mr.. Carmack, Tennessee S new sem
ator, who is looked upon in Washing
ton as coming national leader of his
party, is quoted as saying that the
democrats of the south will make a
fight for the annexation of Cuba, and
that republicans will oppose it be-
cause they cannot ignore the claims of
the sugar and tobacco trusts. This
NAV be Mr.. Carmack's view of the
case, and it may be that some other
Southern senators agree with his
opinion that, disregarding the Louis
lana sugar planters, the interests of
the south would be served by annexa-
ton. But the gentleman from Ten
nessee is very far from thorough I'M
Outstanding of the situation, if he
imagines that anything like solid
south can be brought to the support
OF the proposition. Moreover, he is
likely to become party question.
He is unquestionably right in his
conclusion that the sugar and tobacco
interests will oppose anything that
would bring Cuba S products into this
country duty-free, but he fails to take
into account the geographical extent
of the sugar industry in this country,
and he also OverlOoks some other mat
tiers that will have determining in
fiuence on representatives and senators
from various states. The beet sugar
men, or most of them at least, are
firmly convinced that annexation
would be detrimental, if not fatal, to
their interests, and the members of
Congress from the beet sugar districts
are sure to oppose it. But the Ameri-
can tobacco growers are, though not
logically, in the same position. LOU
isiana S cane sugar interests are GER
tain to be bitterly opposed to the re-
moyal of tariff barriers. Florida's
tobacco and tropical fruit interests
must necessarily occupy the same po-
sition. Senator Baily. of Texas, has
declared that either one Of two rea-
sons would be sufficient to make him
unalterably opposed to annexation.
His first reason is that the country
already has race problems enough,
without inviting more, and his second
is that annexation would mean in
creased and avoidable competition for
the sugar and fruit growers of the
south. Kentucky, Virginia, the Car
olinas and other states where the to-
bacco crop is an important product,
are not likely to form part of that
south which, in Mr.. Carmack's view
is to demand annexation. On the
other hand those northern states
which are consumers and not produc-
ers of either sugar or tobacco, are
more than likely to demand with some
eagerness, any action which PROMISE
to abolish the tariffs, and are quiz
capable of exerting such pressure as
would compel their republican repre-
sentatives to accept the Carmack view
of the desirability of annexation.
1t is tolerably clear, that Mr. Car
mack does not speak for a solid south,
and it is equally clear that the repub-
lican party, having some beet sugar
states, some tobacco states and several
i'll which neither is an important in
dustry, can hardly be held together
on such an issue. In short. it is i'm
possible to believe that the annexa-
ton OF Cuba, which, except for race
feeling, presents none but economic |
problems, can become either a party
or sectional issue.
MONEY ORDERS