The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-01-25
Live and Let Live.

| TOUR YEARS ago about this time
II all eyes were directed to Cuba
and all ears listening to the mag
zeal appeals in her behalf sent up from
the congress-appeals which rarely
find their equal in literature and
stamped their creators as foremost in
oratory That was four years ago.
These orations fired the patriotic heart
and urged intervention in behalf of the
struggling Cubans. Then came the
blowing up of the battleship Maine,
followed by the war with Spain. The
result is Cuba for the Cubans
Do we speak Alright? Is Cuba really
free and independent? Not long ago an
election was held, president and con-
gress chosen, and to all appearances
government established by the popular
will of the people But Cuban indie
pendence still has string to it. The
conditions imposed upon that island by
the United States are
!. Cuba can make no treaties with
foreign nations without the consent OF
the United States.
,. Cuba must contract no debts with
out permission of the United States.
s. Cuba must assent to the inter
vention of the United States at any
time in her internal affairs. even in
the matter of police regulation.
These terms 10 which the United
States have subjected Cuba have put
that island back into a condition, poll
tically, similar TO that which existed
under Spanish rule The war of lib
Grafton" has resulted merely in an ex-
change of masters. And in this eS-
change the former Spanish task
master was less eXacting than the
one which holds the tariff whip
over Cuba's head, and for lack of
better designation we might call the
beet sugar master. Cuba is indeed free,
endowed with the privilege of starry
ing to death under the conditions i'm
posed by the country which beat back
the Spaniard from her island shores
Let us come to definite facts. Cuba
is an agricultural country. Her two
principal products are sugar and to-
bacco in the raw material Her chief
are from the United
OF her total exports, the an
nual value of which is $63, 000, 900, not
less than S45,OOOOOO is drawn to the
United States. On all imports from the
United States to Cuba the people of
that island have to pay duties fixed by
United States officials; and on all
Cubas importations to the United
States the Cubans, under a law of
congress approved by the president, !
are obliged to pay duties as high as
any duties imposed by the United |
States on the least favored foreign ma
tons
If Cuba were really independent she |
would be in position to enter into such |
regulations with the Unit
ed States and other nations as best |
suited her interests. If she were a
state in the Union she would be. as
Utah is, free from the exactions of our
tariffs. which, in her case, instead of |
practically operate as a
tariff But now, in this
and in other matters, her purse must
be regulated as if the strings were
ours
The president is in patriotic sympa-
thy With the efforts of Cuba to gain
a foothold in the commercial world,
and pointed out to congress the neces- +
sity Of some mitigation in the existing
tariff laws. The secretary of war
ately said:
"The prosperity of Cuba depends
upon finding market for her princi-
pal products-suga and tobacco-at
reasonable profit. Under the ex-
sting provisions of the United States
-ariff law the prices which can be
realized for Cuban sugar and a large
part of the Cuban tobacco in this
American market are not sufficient
to yield living profit to the
The fact is amplified by President
Palma, the first executive officer of the
sland. 1t is also strengthened by the
'eport of Major General Wood, who
lcted as military governor of Cuba.
The united business interests of the
sland have petitioned for concessions.
asking congress only to enact policy
# live and let live. But how are these
,ntreaties for simple justice and a pc
iUon TO be allowed to live met by the
elfish portion of the American people?
Here in Utah, for instance, we raise
sugar beets. 1t pays to raise sugar 4
'eets. At the time ii did not pay so
veil as raising alfalfa. or turnips, or
'ther farm products, the state paid a
county to the man raising sugar beets.
The alfalfa farmer kicked, but he was
IN enemy TO home industry and all /
'ther patriotic fads. So he was ac-
ordingly taxed to pay the beet bounty :
nd taxed on the sugar produced from 5