The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-26

From some things which Gen. Wood,
Governor General of Cuba, has said since
his arrival in this country TO introduce
to the President the members Of the Gu
ban Constitutional Convention who went
TO Washington for the purpose of having
talk about the Plat amendment, II is
inferred that while the Cubans are stand
ing out for absolute Independence, they
will accept that amendment on condition
that Cuban sugar and tobacco are admit
ted into this country free of duty.
OF course the President can give the
committee no satisfaction I'm reference TO
sugar and tobacco. The most he can say
Is that he will use his influence in favor
Of having Cuban sugar and tobacco put
on the free list, provided he is in favor
of that policy. II is for Congress TO de-
termine whether our tariff laws shall be
radically changed for Cubas benefit.
1t is practically certain that Congress
will never consent to let Cuban sugar ana
tobacco come into our market free Of
duty. Our own sugar and tobacco inter-
ests are too great to permit of anything
of that kind. 1t was the tobacco interest
of New England and Pennsylvania that
brought about reversal of the Presi-
dents policy respecting Porto Rico. 1t
will be recalled that the President said
that it was our plain duty" to admit
the products of Porto Rico free OF duty
after that island became a possession of
the United States. But the plain duty
policy didn't stand. The tobacco inter-
est was powerful enough to have it re-
versed. SO. if effort is made to have
Cuban sugar and tobacco came into our
market free of duty there will be such
powerful opposition that it will fail. The
beet and cane sugar interests will unite
with the tobacco interest, and the COM
bination viii be sufficient to prevent the
opening of our markets to Cuba's prod
ucts.
As a matter of fact, Cuba can produce
enough sugar and tobacco to supply our
market-at least, Cuba and Porto Rico
together can. II our markets we're made
free to them our beet sugar farmers,
sugar cane planters and growers of to-
DaSSO-thal H. kOD0N~c lOA NhSoP SieAa@
would have to go out of business. 1t is
not reasonable to suppose, however, that
Congress is going to ruin any class OF
producers in this country for the purpose
of helping the Cubans. This country has
spent enough money and sacrificed
enough lives already in helping Cuba.
1t is true that Cuba might close her
markets to us, by putting the duties on
American goods so high that the entire
Cuban trade would go to European mar
kets, but there is very little probability Ct
her doing that. The best we can do
for Cuba is to favor her as much as we
can without injuring interests of our own
people.
As for the Plat amendment, that is
really for the benefit of Cuba. Without
it Cuba would stand a poor chance of
having peace. She would be harrassed
by European countries whose citizens
holds bonds issued by Spain on Cuban
revenues, and she would be in danger
all the while from internal dissensions
1t may be that the Cuban committee will
return home convinced that the Plat
amendment is for the good of Cuba, and
that its adoption ought not to be made
to depend upon settlement, satisfactory
to the Cubans, of certain economic ques-
tons.