The sun., 1902-02-25
OUR AMERICAN FARMERS AND
CEBA
Reciprocity Recommended for Them by n
Close student or the GueEtion,

en'ci that We must consider the welfare ol
the farmers who raise crops Of boets which
they sell ri n good price to the beet sugar
manufacturers They will have TO give ~
this source OF profit. II Is urged. II the beet
sugar industry declines through the removal
ol some part of tho high protective duties on
| Cuban cane sugar
or course. we must consider the welfare oi
tho farmers. For that very reason | write
this letter. warning farmers In all parts OF
! the country that they are being placed in a
false position. II is not true that their inter-
ests would suffer, even were Cuban sugar to be
| admitted fire.. OF dltv
| Let us suppose for a moment that the effect
| OF the proposed legislation (which Is designed
70 save from absolute ruin an island depend
ent upon MS and now appealing TO usl would
be TO lower the price Of sugar In our markets
| Then We should find that the value of our
fruit crops would be doubled Great cs-
Adjustments for preserving pears. oranges.
| apples. grapes, peaches, plums aud berries
would spring up in ali parts of tIa land. were
we TO have cheap sugar We can produce
| within our own territorial limits including
the West Indies, every valuable kind OF fruit
We shall supply the world with preserved
| fruits Just as soon as we have sugar a little
cheaper than the other countries In which
this industry has reached vast develop
ment Any statistician will tell us what a
| great source OF wealth II has become to coun-
| tries that have adopted the wise policy OF
| placing sugar in the home market at a frac-
| ton OF cent less per pound than it Is In the
markets OF competing natons-for OK
ample. England Curgocs OF piums from
Germany, Of oranges from Spaia, &c. are
sent to smoky English towns to be turned
into preserves and marmalade. merely be-
cause England has cheaper sugar VITA
our orchards. vineyards and gardens, shall
we hesitate to accept the advantages now
being pressed upon us by the inhabitants Of
an island but eighty miles from Florida,
which Is beyond comparison the most success
ful Ia the world in producing sugar. As
result Of our friendly concession now, our
farmers would not only discover u little gold
mine In every old orchard. but the value of
lands adapted TO fruit raising in all parts OF
the country would advance.
The beet-sugar partisans urge us 10 take
care OF the interests OF farmers in certain
limited districts. But the benefits we ara
now considering would not be confined 20
try. Every part Of the United States has lis
special talent" so to speak, for fruit produc-
tion. Think of the enormous output of seed
less oranges on the Pacific Coast. whore they
were unknown few years ago. Think of our
recent success with the finest kind OF figs and
OF the work OF our Department OF Agriculture
In finding precisely the conditions suited to
dates in regions hitherto supposed to be
worthless
Think also Of tho localities which at present
cannot dispose Of their surplus production.
There will he no more complaint of fruit rot
the crop being wastedl when there shall be
factory for preserving this delicious food
within easy rcnc! OF every fruit-growing dis
trict. This result waits upon nothing but the
reduction Of the absurdly high price of
sugar. No single measure that | can think
of would bring such universal aud substantial
prosperity to our farmers. Even in New
England the abandoned farms might again
be brought under cultivation.
IL is absurd to suppose that the compare
lively small number of people who have re-
Gently devoted their energies to raising crops
hF nNtNs..
beet-suga lands. would have no share IN this
general prosperity believe that they
would certainly discover and acknowledge
after few years that even they were gamers
rather than losers.
And now let us suppose that the effect Of
the proposed tarid changes would not be
TO lower the price OF sugar In our markets.
Then we should be averting from ourselves
the shame of failure 70 meet the obligations
prove the condition OF Cuba; we should bc
keeping our national history FREE from the
come short of our fun duty in such case:
We should be securing the gratitude and good
people who surround the southeastern out
posts of our power-by doing what? BY
comforting 9 favor which would cost us ab-
solutely nothing There IL no class in this
country more loyal than the farmers-I had
almost said 80 loval rs tho formers II they
can make their influence felt In Congress they
will alwlYS prefer TO make IL felt in favor Of
the course OF national honor, as opposed 10
the course OF national di~honor. In favor OF
people in distress. as opposed TO the course OF
oppresS ion
And the farmers can make their in fuence
felt now Their influence eNerted now. the
pressure OF their opinion brought to bear
upon Congress. may even turn tho scale IN
favor OF simple Justice and practical common
sense ] am going 70 suggest one or two
things more, though know they may think
OF these thinc- themselves. and of others just
Some one win rise up to say. You have
shown that there will be az Increase in our
beneiciaries. II We We @ have leap i, " sugar nrir'
You have nlso asserted that II We are not to
the part Of honorable gentlemen. without
pecunlary sacrifice by granting the con-
ccssions which nrc so earnestly desired
That makes it look as though We were certain
to win II We grant the petition OF the Cuhnns.
whether the price OF sugar falls IN consequence
or remains stationary, But the opposition
insists that II the price of sugar falls. some
losses viii be invoived-comparatively slight !
Very well. let us meet tho gentlemen Of
tho opposition on their own ground. But /
let us Insist that We have the right To look the /
facts squarCly in the face Cuba in her hest /
years produced little more than one-third OF |
the amount of sugar which We require. Her !
production viii increase when American |
capital develops her resources and American /
mechanical ingenuity prrf"cts her AGRICULTURAL /
appliances Eut so viii our C1pacitv for con- |
sumption increase wear hv ynGr. Therefore, /
for many years 10 como We shall need al tho !
sugar ourselves produce. AT that cuba /
cau send rs. and . grc,t deal more. which /,
uL -ea -onHhl". then. TO say that any Of our .
sugar pToduCora viii be put uuf or tho game /
Tor many years to come. W. SHAH control /
the worlds suGHr market ultimately, as Wa I
now control tho worlds steel ana provision .
markets. ! have bo doubt, If We adopt q wise /
polly Ultimately the lands which ere best /
adapted To sugar production, wherever they ,
may be situated. viii be SCI apart for that /
usa, and some oi hose now do ptcd 10 sugar p
IN the United S,-'o. viii bc surrendered 10
the superior claims ~ other oTous which do
not rcQuir' -UtG Uurup labor Iut wears VIII I
pass meanwhile To- which tho now ad I-twent
may he perfected n hr"t-sugar cries oGt .
that the slightest Gi-looaiton Of the tarlE .
viii ruin II, w. oaH scarcely regard that IN
du~tTy rs % very i-orous growth.
Let the farmers 81 IA" country as whole
take q large We" Of tn' situation let them
boar in mind iu'~,. things. The decision of /
tnis Question Of reciprocity win Cuba rests
with 40 l"plalatlf' body Whicu rrprrsruts T
the whole nHtio" and which cannot there
fore CohGuo - attention 20 the bCrt-.urar /
industry. What tours" will best sa-vr fha /
interests OF thr people OF tho United states
a. a whole? That l. the larger uu, ion Tor /
the wisdom OF Congress II lu.p.o, con
sdcratlon Of fut.ra d"yC!oun.at. 49, we'll 81. :
n wide outlook upon the conditions which arc
present tod 90. shCrt-sighted 4 lir, q
Hdoy'rd r0N .cgld cause the los of q gf-at
opportj tjuitv io fbr ua' ION. iu which los NJ NOT
nt.,.H ts.r.tf.ELs those pfntgpI D. a., 4