The Chanute times., 1902-06-20
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Asks That McKinIey's Pledges Be
Fulfilled
NATIONAL HONOR AT STAKE

congress:
To the senate and the house: deem it i'm,
portant before the adjournInnnt OF the present
session of congress to call attention to the ex-
pressions in the message, which, III the as
charge Of the duty imposed upon me by the
constitution, l sent to congress the first Ices-
day of December last:
Elsewhere have discussed the question of
reciprocity. In the case of Cuba however:
there are .weighty reasons of morality, ana t OF
national interest why the policy should be
held to have II peculiar application and lnosV
earnestly ask your attention to the wisdom
indeed to the vital need OF proylding tor a SUI,
stantal reduction in the tariff duties on Cuban
imports into the United States. Cuba mas, III
her constitution, affirmed what we desired,
that she should stand, in international matters
in closer and more friendly relations WITH US
than with any other power; and we are bound
by every consideration Of honor and expedlel.cy
to pass commercial measures III the interest," Oh
her well being.
This Recommendation was merely giving
practical effect to President Mckinley words,
when, in his message of December D, lS9S ana
December >, 1893 he wrote: 1T is important
that our relations with these people (of Cubal
shall be of the most friendly character and our
commercial relations close and reciprocal
eve have accepted a trust, the fulfillment of
which calls for the sternest integrity OF pmr-
pose and exercise Of the highest wisdom inc
new Cuba yet to rise from the ashes or tnc past
must needs be bound to Us by the lies OF snlgu-
lar intimacy and strength if its enduring vel
fare Is to be assured
"Thc great blessing which can come to Cuba
is the restoration Of her agricultural ana III
dustrial prosperity
Yesterday June -, I received by cable tron
the American minister in Cuba most earnest
appeal from President Palma for legislative
relief before it is too late and (hlSl country
financially ruined.
The granting of reciprocity with Cuba is Il
proposition which stands entirely alone ihe
reasons for it far outweigh those of granting
reciprocity with any other nation and are en-
tit,lx sprts Ias
prospective system under which TINS country
has thriven so marvelously. The present tarlfI
law was designed 20 promote the adoption OF
such reciprocity treaty and expressly pro
vidcd for n reduction not to exceed % per cent
upon goods coming from II particular country
leaving the tariff rates. on the same articles
unchanged as regards all other countries ob-
lection has been made to the granting or the
reduction on the ground that the Substantlal
benefit would not go to the agricultural pro
duceI of sugar but would lnure to the A1erl-
can sugar refinerieS. In my Judgment pro
vision can and should be made which Will
guarantee us against this possibility without
. having recourse to doubtful pOlcy sucn aS
bounty in the form Of q rebate.
The question as to which If any OF tho diiter
ent schedules of the tariff ought most properly
to be revised does not enter INTO this matter III
any way or shane. We are concerned with
getting friendly reciprocal agreement wlth
Cuba. This agreement applies To al the aril-
cles that Cuba grows or produces; 1t is not in
our power TO determine what these articles
will be; and any discussion of the tariff as 1t
affects special schedules or countries other
than Cuba, * wholly aside from the subject
matter to which nov call your attention.
Some Of our citizens oppose the lowering OF
the tariff ON Cuban products lust as three
years ago they opposed the admission OF me
Hawaiian islands, lest free trade with them
might ruin certain Of our interests here. In
the actual event their fears proved baseless ;'s
regards Hawaii and their approhensions - to
the damage to any industry of our own because
OF the proposed measure OF reciprocity WIN
Cuba seems to me equally basolesS; In my
judgment no American industry VIII be hurt
and many American industries VIII be nchC-
fitted by the proposed action. 1t Is to our adj
vantage as a nation that the growing Cuban
market should be controlled by American
producers. The events following the war with
Spain and the prospective building Of the
isthmian canal render it certain that we must
take in the future a far greater interest thnn
hitherto in what happens throughout the West
Indies Central America and the adjacent
coasts and waters. We expect Cuba to treat
US ON an exceptional footing politically and we
should put her in the same exceptional posi-; ;lon
economically. The proposed action is IN line
with the course we have pursued rs regards all
the islands with which we have been brought
into relations of Carrying intimacy by, the
Spanish war. Porto Rico and Hawaii have
been included within our tariff lines to their
/ great benefit as well AZ ours and without any
/ The Philippines, which stand in a different
/ relation have been granted substantial tariff
| concession.
Cuba is an important republic but republic
! as regards her international position i'll COM
/ plancc with our request. ask for hcr certain
! special economic concessions in return; these
/ economic concessions to benefit as well as
| her. There are fewer brighter pages in Amcr1-
can history than the page which tells of our
! dealings with Cuba during the past four years.
! In her behalf we wagcd war of which the
handspring was generous indignation against
/ oppression and we have kept faith absolutely.
Ii is earnestly to be hoped that we viii com
plete in the same spirit the record so well be
| gun and show by our dealings with Cuba that
steady continuity Of policy which it is essential
for our nation to establish in foreign affairs if
we desire to play well our part as II world
! power.
We are a wealthy and powerful nation.
] Cuba is IA young republic still weak who owes
| to Us her birth, whose whole future, whose
very life, must depend on our attitude toward
her. | ask that we help her as she struggles
unward along the painful and difficult road of
| self governing independence. Task this aid for
| her because she is weak because she needs it.
because we have already aided her. ask that
open handed help of "a kind which a self re-
suecting people can accept be given to Cuba
for the very reason that we have given her
Ca