The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-26
TROUBLE AHEAD FOR ROOSEVELT.

It was stated in our Washington dis
patches yesterday that President
Roosevelt and Gen. Wood, Governor
General of Cuba, had practically agreed
that there ought to be a reciprocity
treaty between this country and Cuba,
and that the President had announced
his pun pcCe TO have such a treaty ne
gotiated at once, so that 1t would be
ready 30. be acted upon when Congress
met in December. 1t is probable that
tie PRESIDENT did not go quite so far
as that. He may have said that he
favored such a treaty, but thsYe is
nobody in Cuba who is officially quail
fed YET to negotiate a treaty with this
country. Gen. Wood says that he
holes there will be nothing in the way
of tm ming Cuba over 10 the Cubans
by May l next. When the Cubans get
control of their own affairs they will
be in position to negotiate treaties.
But President Roosevelt will find that
1t will not be such an easy matter
to get the Senate to ratify a reciproc-
fly treaty with Cuba or any other
country. There are a great many
senators who are in favor of reciproc-
ity in the abstract, but when it comes
to ratifying a reciprocity treaty they
are not prompt to act. And President
Roosevelt will have strong opposition
in his own party when he attempts to
carry out the late President McKinley's
reciprocity policy.
1t should not be overlooked that the
announcement of policy of reciproc-
ity which Mr.. Mckinley made at the
Buffalo Exposition was not the first
announcement that he made of that
policy. He may not have proclaimed
his reciprocity policy from the house
tops, but he had half a dozen or more
reciprocity treaties negotiated by Mr..
Kasson. All of them were sent to the
Senate for ratification and they were
smothered in that body. And why?
Simply because the senators agreed to
stand together, and insist upon all the
protection they could get for their
respective states. For instance, the
reciprocity treaty with France hit the
wine growers of California, the glove
makers of New York and the cheap
jewelry makers of another state. In
fact, many American interests were
hit by that treaty. Consequently the
senators from the states interested OPP
posed its ratification. A like treaty
with Argentina hit the wool growers
and leather makers of Texas and other
states, and, hence, the senators from
those states were against it. In fact,
there was a group of senators against
every one of the treaties, and these
groups got together and no one of the
treaties was brought before the Sen
ate.
And so it will be If President Roose-
welt sends reciprocity treaties to the
Senate. They will be smothered, be-
cause senators are not willing that any
American product shall have serious
competition in the home market-at
least they are ready to act in accord
ance with the wishes of their constitu-
ents in the matter. No doubt the
President will recommend reciprocity
in his message to Congress. He will
point out, in all probability. that in
order to have markets for the steady
increase in the surplus of our prod
ucts, both agricultural and Industrial,
we shall have to open our markets to
the products of other countries. Other
countries cannot buy of us unless we
buy of them. For the year ending
Aug. 81 last, we exported products
amounting to $500, 61S,2S6 That was
the first time that our exports ever
exceeded a billion and half of dol
lars in any one year.
Every American, however, wants the
entire home market for the product in
which he is interested, and the United
States now produce a portion of pretty
American people hope to increase their
productions so that they will be able
to supply the home market in most
things to the extent of it's demands
They even hope to produce all the sugar
they need. 1t can be readily seen
therefore that it is not going to be an
easy task to get the Senate to ratify
reciprocity treaty with any country
that wants TO find a market for arti-
cles which we already produce to
some extent, If not to the extent OF
our needs, at home. Some slight con-
cession may be made to Cuba on her
sugar and tobacco. but il -. cuba will
have to grant great commercial fav-
ors to this country. The reciprocity
policy which President Roosevelt has
adopted isn't. going to become, the pol
| icy of the country without a great po-
| liticai struggle.