Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1901-08-28
RECIPROCITY AND CUBA.

The correspondent of the Brooklyn
Standardization writing from Wash
ington under date of August II says:
"The President is very much in earn.
est in his desire that the Republican
party should commit itself to the poll
cy of reciprocity. not so much in plat
form declarations as in actual results"
This. coupled with u,terances COM
ing more directly from the President
make safe the conclusion that recipro.
city is to be leading topic of discus.
sion in the next Congress. Reciprocity
Is always fraught. with danger to Ha-
wall since sugar is ever one of the ia
vorite products suggested for the free
list Thus IT behooves our business
leaders to be watchful that the depres-
sion resultant from changed labor con-
ditions may not be further loaded down
with the competition OF free sugar.
The most threatening cloud on the
horizon of our industrial prosperity is
Cuba. The sugar trust is investing its
money in Cuban cane fields and array
ing its forces to secure free entry for
the Cuban product. The same cores
pondent speaks of this Cuban matter
as follows:
Whine 1t does not appear on the
lrrface. there is activity in another
line during this period of quiet in legis-
lative matters. One Of The most i'm
portant questions to come before the
L. - a., Ia
lions of the United States to the new
Republic of Cuba. The question is
whether the United States is to help
Cuba develop and grow in wealth and
prosperity by giving IL a tobacco and
sttsar preferential entrance into the
United States. or whether by main
tanning the present duties on sugar and
tobacco Cuba's growth Is to be stunted.
In this latter policy is also the prob
ability that Cuba will be irritated at
the United States, and our citizens be
so unpopular as to seriously interfere
with the development of American
commerce with the island. which offers
many possibilities. Good statesman
ship, in the minds of the President and
many of his advisers will consist in
giving the Cubans encouragement by
preferential duties. and in thus pre-
venting them from making commercial
alliances with other nations to our i'm
jury.
The President has no idea of advo-
eating the admission of Cuban sugar
and tn,n Of l,,t,. That
be harmful to very serious degree to
/ our own tobacco and sugar growers,
but he does advocate the reduction of
duties on the Cuban tobacco and sugar.
Just how much these duties should
be reduced is a problem for the lcgis-
lative branch, not the executive. to
solve. Naturally. the sugar and to-
baCCO growers in tho United States do
not take kindly to the idea of giving
the Cubans any advantages through
lower tariff rates. but IL Is believed
their OPPOSITION can be overcome. For
one thing, Senator Plat of Connecti-
cut. who represents u great tobacco
growing section, Is not Directing to
lower tobacco duties. and is even advo-
eating them as far as Cuba is c)ncern-
ed, and so does Senator Spooner Of
Wisconsin, another State that grows
tobacco
The Presidents desire for preferen-
tial duties in Cuba's favor Is by no
means reassuring to this country. since
Congress may Notwithstanding the
Presidents opposition to Cuban free
trade, feel called upon to strengthen
the ties binding the island republic to
the United States. Cuba is now In
practically the same position occupied
by Hawaii previous to annexation. II
Ia inevitable that Cuba will one day
be annexed. Hawaii must join its old
enemies. the Louisiana planters and
beet sugar manufacturers in fighting
Cuba that the foundation Of our pros
perity may not be threatened beyond
hope Of repair.