BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-04-21
SAN JUAN. APRIL D
Reciprocity For Cuba.

Reciprocity For Cuba.
The best piece of news received
from the. States for sometime was
the cable announcing the passage
of the Cuban reciprocity ,resolu-
ton in the lower House. This
matter had been under discussion and
consideration SO long that Cuba's
friends had begun to believe that the
obstruction tactics of the opposition
would be successful. Fortunately there
was an administration which did not
forget pledges, and which would not
permit anyone else to forget them.
All over the Union opposition to
Cuban relief has sprung up at odd
intervals and with varying bitterness.
All these opponents have, of course
been swayed by home interests and the
fear of injury to nearer industries. Of
all the opposition which has developed
against Cuba, the strangest has been
that of many Porto Ricans, who have
been found to be amongst Cuba's most
violent and vigorous opponents
Taking the matter as a question of
industrial and agricultural protection
there IS of course some ground for our
desire to prevent Cuba from enjoying
the same privileges which are enjoyed
By us. Considering the question, how
ever, from the standpoint of equal
justice we have permitted ourselves to
be unjust and unreasonable. We have
grown selfish.
= Porto Rco.s urgent demands for free
Z trade between the United States and
this island are too well known. and of
!. too recent occurrence to require that we
should be reminded of them. Our many
memorials and petitions to Congress
are too fresh in our minds to perm of
their being so soon forgotten. We
needed this relief and have found it.
Why then should we deny it to Cuba !?
Of course the answer would be that
we are part of the Union and Cuba is
not, or that we should protect ourselves
first. In spite Of these answers it still
remains fact that by denying Cuba
some measure of relief we are act
ing unjustly by her.
In taking Cuba under Our wing
we have denied her the Spanish market
which she has used for centuries, and
where she has always found a ready
sale for her products. We have taken
away from her the other dozen and one
European ports in, which she could dis
pose of her products.
Up todate we have given here no.
thing in return If the reciprocity re-
solutions had failed Cuba might have
remained poverty striken land Until
the final blast.
AS for the statement that Cuba should
join the Union if she wants equal
: rights with Porto Rico, it. should be
!. dismissed with the assertion that Cuba
taken into the Union under such cir.
cumstances and virtually as matter of
sheer necessity, and absolutely against
her own free will, would forever have
been source of trouble and annoyance
to us.
The folio sing letter on Cuba was
sent to the New: York Commercial
advertiser by Mr., c. c. Shayne one of
New Yorks leading merchants and
capitalists. Read his opinion on the
subject:
S1r-ln your report of tie proceed
ings at the adjourned meeting of the
Chamber OF Commerce, held today, il
would appear that opposed the resolu
tons favor1ng reelection of so per
cent. in the duty on imports from Cuba.
On the contrary. made the motion to
adopt the resolutions offered by Mr..
Schwab, and it should have been SO
recorded The motion was seconded.
but before being put Mr.. Hewitt re-
qleSted that some words be eliminated.
One other correction was made, after
which the motion was put and carried,
with but one or two negatives-and
these from the opposite end of The
room from where | sat. What / did
not favor was the sending at this late
day of copies of President 7. Estrada
: Palmas address, delivered one week
ago, to commercial organizations throu-
ghout the country, because the address
had been published in every leading
newspaper in the United States, and
members of commercial bodies gener-
ally read newspapers. Therefore, mas
much as the resolutions adopted to-day
would Be wired all over the United
States, held to this view in regard to
them, and voted No. | thought it
necessary to vote against the motion;
l5nt / want to be on record as an adj
vocate OF the resolution favoring a re-
duction of 50 per cent. in the duty on
imports from Cuba.
am a protectionist, and have not
deviated an iota from that policy; but
our relations to Cuba are such that the
American people would be doing Cuba
a grave injustice If they did not make
en- exception IN her case-and the