Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1901-11-12
CUBAN ANNEXATION.
lSan Francisco Chronicle. !


As the time approaches for the as
sembling of Congress the activity OF
the sugar trust In its warfare on home
industry appears to increase. Just now
there Is less said about reciprocity"
than about annexation. The popular
resistance to the enactment of reve.
nue. laws by treaty has become so pro.
nounced that the reciprocity idea
seems to have been relegated to the
background and annexation brought
brought forward in its stead. Reports
are sent almost daily IRON Havana to
the effect that petitions for annexation
are being circulated In Cuba, and the
statement Is made that annexation
will become a live question" in Con.
gress almost as soon as 1t convenes.
The fact Is that the present proposal
for annexation is simply a cloak to
cover the intent OF reciprocity. The
idea seems to be to first are the popu
lar mind with the desire for further
expansion and then to secure reel
procity" as stepping stone 10 1t. The
sugar refining trust does not desire
annexation except as last resort, for
1t would surely involve opposition In
refining and might compel II to remove
its present refneries to Cuba for the
sake OF securing the benent OF cheap
labor Its obvious policy is to secure
the importation Of raw sugar at rates
which will render the beet sugar in.
dustry Improbable. while retaining its
monopoly by keeping out refined sugar.
As the only vitality In the movement
IN favor OF Cuban sugar Is that impart
ed to 1t by the refining trust. we are
able to know with certainty the actual
intention, by using our common sense
In determining the real interest OF the
trust. That interest Is plain, and we
may be perfectly sure that 1t Is fully
understood by the trust and that all
real effort will be In that direction.
Should the worst come to the worst. 1t
Is probably true that the trust would
prefer TO take the chance of control
ling Cuban production and refining
than to face the competition of the
beet sugar industry OF the United
States. But annexation will not be
favored by the trust SO long as there
Is chance for reciprocity"
| II Will he time enough to discuss our
future relations with Cuba when the
time comes when there can be any
change in them. For the present we
stand pledged to Cuba anu the world
to establish an Independent govern
ment in that island. When such a
government has been established, and
the Cubans have had some experience
as an independent nation, proper
means will exist for ascertaining the
real wishes OF the Cubans. Al present
we do not know them, nor can they
know them themselves. The "peti
tons" OF few sugar planters and
merchants throw no light on the sub
ject. When we have fulfilled oul
pledges by establishing an independ
ent government in the islands there
will be orderly constitutional ways b,
which the desire for annexation. II 1
exists, can be officially made known
and then, and not until lnen. car
there be useful discussion of the sub
ject In this country. But one thin,
Is sure, and that is that any propose
to admit Cuba to our commercial unioi
while keeping out the Filiplnos
whose territory we have seized with