The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1901-12-14

Will tuS recommendations VI tHt
Commission, which favors the
route, but to the person who
reads carefully between the lines
Shere is reason to suspect that
there is, in the promptness with
which all this is being done, some
thing in the nature of Il ruse and
that it is the hope of the premo-
ters of the canal to bring the
owners Of the Panama route tc
reasonable terms. They now hole
out for approximately $70,000,00C
more than the commission be-
lieves their plant is worth.
The Presidents advice on the
tariff question quite accords with
the views of the high protection
lists of his party and when those
congressman who have advocated
tariff revision have ventilated
their opinions to an extent which
they believe will satisfy their con-
stituents, and perhaps gain fol
them some concessions in the way
of patronage or local appropria'
tions, they will graciously consent
to have their bills buried in COM
mittee and will soon forget that
they ever contemplated the heresy
of tariff revision-at least until
they have to ask their friends at
home to re-elect them.
The only cloud on the republi.
can sky is the recommendation OF
Mr.. Roosevelt in regard to reel.
procity with Cuba. The Presi-
dent has, said that from moral
reasons and national interest We
are bound to grant material con
cessions to Cuba. The Sugar
Trust has promised to add the
gentle weight of its persuasive
influence to the movement, always
provided there IS no reduction on
refined sugar, which, of course.
means that the Cuban raw sugar
can be bought cheaper by the
trust but the consumer will have
to pay just as much for the re-
fined article. and Senator Lodge
has been chosen to lead the fight
in the Senate.
Entirely apart from the ques-
tion of the merits Of the Presi-
dents message as demonstrative
Of craftsmanship, etc., it is an ex-
ceptional success from Il political
standpoint. 1t has won the APP
proval of the people and the cap
italists, a by no means easy at
tainment, and that has inspired
insthe members of Congress a re-
spect which is not unmixed with
fear. They appreciate thar pres
ident who can at once appeal to
both the people and the vested
interests is a man who is not
easily downed, and they are one
and all anxious TO stand high in
the good graees of the chief ex-
ecutive.
Y It is, therefore, safe to predict
that his strong recommendation
on the subject Of Cuban reciproc-
fly will exact far greater consid-
Grafton than it would have had
not the message proved SO popu-
lar q document. After all, the
only people to be sacrifice dare the
beet sugar growers and the cane
growers and they are not either of
them of sufficient weight in the
matter of ballots to compel very
much respect from republican
congressman.
There is one recommendation in
the Presidents message which
should receive the cordial sup
port of congressman irrespective
Of party, and that is the appeal
for support of the Postmaster
General in bis efforts to remove
the abuses which have crept into
the administration of the laws in
regard to second class matter.
Mr.. Roosevelt says that although
seeond-class mail matter consti-
tdtes nearly sixty per cent of the
mails, out Of a total revenue of
Sill ,631 1873 the Post Office De-
DarIment received only 81 ,299. .445
for the transmission of that class
He goes on to say that
if the pound rate fwere limited to
the legitimate newspapers and
periodicals actually contemplated
BY the law no just exception could
be taken"
In bis annual report the Post
MASTER General deals with this
subject extensively and cites a
single instance Of a publication
whose admission to the pound
rate was not originally contem-
plated by the trainers of the law
and which cost the government
for transportation and handling
$l5,657 against which the pub
Usher paid postage amounting to
$2,236 leaving a net loss to the