New-York tribune., 1901-11-13
RECIPROCITY THE THEME
ruF COMING CONFERENCE OF
GREAT IMPORTANCE.
osryFTT PLEDGED TO FOLLOW
.r-rv1Fy,s POIICY-NO PROMISE
OF WHOLESALE RECIPROC-
TTY TO CUBA
rry TELEGRAPH TO THE 7R1pUNE,l

- most important conferences III recent Cihies
= american business men viii assemble In
rsbingrou under the name OF the Natlonai
t-.oci-, Convention. The prospects are that
:. a.sAn,blaee viii not he large as to numbers
IL, t,,.- il will be thoroughly representative
che modern business and commercial spirit OF
,ss United states there is no DOUBT 1t Is eN-
- tra, the convention Will extend over
A. 5a,,s with txo sessions each day. and
g.. :. viii H. attended by representative man.
.-,-e,-s i,,74orters and exporters from every
,sre.-iar ra,,+re Of the country Il was called
month ago l,v the Board Of Trade of Philadel-
,h,a as q direct outgrowth Of the reciprocity
se5+a+ioY that was started by President Mchin-
lev,s now famous last speech at Buffalo ana
os Prestden. Roosevelt's solemn declaration on
taking the oath OF Office that he Wouio 1oiio"
unhroken the policy Of his predecessor IN
100 eeosa the chief aim and purpose Of the
convention is interpret for Congress the nd
.,or and the world the economic policy pro-
claimed by the martyred President a Few houTS
b4fore he was struck down by the assassin S
,bruet. and to show that in his Buffalo speech
:. ala not mean tc define any new doctrines for
h;s marty or TO start the country on unmarked
ens untried paths, as is so clamorously declared
to have been his meaning by publicists and poll
,iciaus who are not in harmony with the main
.,s,s of the Republican faith. and who never
s.7 understand Mckinley and the other states
me, who worked with him In building up the
,,esent inpregnabie fiscal policy through which
ne limited States has become the most prosper
Vus nation In the world
That the business men OF the country, great
sad small understood the dead President, and
that he understood them, goes without saying,
understanding him they did. they now be-
gsye 1t to be their patriotic duty to meet in the
rst,onal capital the eve of the reassembling
n Congress and give a plain definition Of the
aOctrines enunciated with such earnestness and
soauence in the Buffalo speech Realizing that
nobody understands these doctrines better than
does President Roosevelt, they also feel II in
cuulbent upon them to aid him in getting before
the nation clearer understanding Of the policy
he is pledged 10 execute, that when Congress
meets there will be neither hysteria IN that body
nr fear In the public mind which might con-
luce to E needless course that would inflict in
Jury on the nation by disturbing business con-
| iiuons and unsettling values generally. 1t is
vOinted out that, should the free trade inter
prstation put on the reciprocity programme de-
red at Buffalo in September be followed, either
l ytolly or even in part, by the LVIIth Congress.
i disaster almost great as that which fol-
IoFed the Cleveland tinkering with the tariff
suld befaII the business interests OF the nation
HOW Mr.. ROOSEVELT VIEWS 1T.
No Republican leader-and least of all. Presi-
;sut Rooseveit-beIieves that Mr.. Mckinley had
he Democratic form Of reciprocity in mind
vaen he delivered his last message to his coun-
i .ymen at Buffalo, any more than that he had
\ mind tariff revision programme that would
7assse the free traders and other economic doc
- hos Enthusiastically that
s nat was in the mind Of President Mckinley
hen he spoke at Buffalo more than two months
10 is in III. mind of his successor to-day This
81 Is been shown beyond doubt in all the dis
sssions of reciprocity President Roosevelt has
ad with his Cabinet and other advisers. Among
his latter class are many Of the most sue
Il essful end broad gauge business men, mer-
hsnts manufacturers and inancsers of the
F. country scores Of whom Will be active and con-
F. picuous participants in the National Reciproc-
Ety Convention next week 1t is confidently pre-
u iiced that the convention will define the atti-
& tude and expectations of the business interests
81 0. the nation on the reciprocity question SO
Il clearly that tinlid Congressman cannot go astray
when thew assemble in Washington in Decem-
he, and that there will longer be cause for
] anybody to misunderstood the programme, poll
3 ces and purposes by which the new Congress-.
i eE.ryheimingly Republican in both branches,
VII b guided
There is also good reason for saying that not
rntl this National Reciprocity Convention has
roksn the confident word of reinsurance TO the
'auntry will President Roosevelt write the rec
sfocty part Of his message.
CONCESSIONS TO THE CUBANS
la convention. composed as II will be OF clear
aasd and practical men of large AFFAIRS, is eA-
I'd 70 define in some detail what concessions
asvvernment Of the United States can anoro
srske to the busin-ss interests of other ma
= and what degree of reciprocity In particu-
distances this country is now prepared 10
sI upon This assertion OF course applies
cste as well as to the Oldest and most pow
gu nations While It is true that CONNER
a coacessions have been pledged to Cuba, ana
@ LIS pledge had weight in determining tiie
'F sSeptance Of the Platt amendment as
.@' the organic law Of Cuba, The Tribune
seasntly has stated upon the highest author
mat no programme Of wholesale reciprocity
a teen promised TO the Cubans. That is to
Dhaer the distinct agreement between the
Aoes Of the Senate and the leaders OF the con-
'4loaal convention at Havana. which accept
ne Platr amendment. if. after careful inNes-
s'Non II lie made plain that the entry OF Cupah
80 and tobacco free TO United States ports
~o seriously inture the sugar and tobacco IN
se OF this country those commodities VIII
= Dc allowed TO come here free. On the con-
ssry, n-o,sos.. y I'm ~.e .obacco and
80 VIII De maintained and this government
- make other valuable tariff concessions 20
"hich viii so stimulate and strengthen the
industrial energies and resources OF ihe
- q 70 enable the Cubans TO compete on an
' loot with the United States In the
' ana sugar markets of the world IT is
mere that this was all Senator Lodge
= - wen he said in his speech TO the Middle
at Boston that reciprocity would be
'ed WITH Cuba"