The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-03-14
MR.. STEVENS ACCOMPLISHMENT

MIR. STEVENS ASTONIsHMENT
Congressman Stevens Of st. Paul, who
seems to have furnished the Minnesota
delegation with what logical basis it has
for its ill-considered opposition to recip-
roctsy with Cuba, kindly gave The
Journals Washington correspondent
a long statement of the reasons actuating
the Minnesota delegation for position
that passes comprehension at home.
Summed up 1t is as the head lines put it,
Save Beet Sugar. We assume that MI
Stevens has made the best defense of the
delegation's course that. can be made.
1t is surprising to hear congressman
at this stage of the discussion of the
sugar question talking about the beet
sugar industry being ruined by reduc-
ton Of 20 per cent in the tariff on Cuban
sugar. AS a matter of fact it could
not be ruined or seriously affected by any
reduction Of the sugar tariff until it had
1t would be unnecessary to buy sugar
from countries not having the advantages
OF preferential tariff. - ..
The American consumption Of sugar
this year will he about 100000 tons.
Cuba, If we take her entire crop, will
send us about 100000 tons. That leaves
100000 tons to be supplied by domestic
sugar manufacturers and foreign coun-
tries other than Cuba. 1t is estimated
that the American beet root sugar makers
can give us 100000 tons. The American
cane sugar makers-those of Louisiana,
Hawaii and Porto Rico-can give us 740,-
000e An outside estimate is that the do
mestic sugar makers, cane and beet, will
supply us with 100000 tons this year.
Putting the Cuban product atS800, 900 tons,
there remain 700,0 900 tons of sugar that
must be imported across the tariff barr
rier.. The Cuban production has scarcely
ever been over 100000 tons, and is not
likely to grow much faster than the
consumption of sugar'in the United States,
which, at the present time, increases
100000 tons a year. That leaves a mar
gin of about 700. 900 tons of protection for
the domestic sugar makers. 81 And if the
beet sugar. makers can't get their fair
share of this margin in competition with
the cane sugar of Louisiana, Hawaii and
Porto Rico. which are parts of the United
States, their industry is such an artificial
one that 1t will be a mistake to give it
more protection. |r ~.
1t has been absolutely proved that the
average Cuban sugar planter is now SELL
ing his sugar at AN actual loss. He can
not long continue to do so. When the
plantations close, some $4,000 workmen
will he thrown out Of work. Last year
pacific Cuba bought $2S,4OO, 900 worth of
goods from us, or seven times as much
as the Philippines, where we are pouring
out our money SO freely. With the great
basic industry of Cuba paralyzed the bulk
OF this trade will be ruined Congress
man Stevens says that all the pCubans are
employed at higher wages than ever be-
fore. That Is true, but there are special
reasons for it.. Thousands of men are be-
ing employed in railroad building, and
some hundreds Of former laborers are now
enrolled in the constabulary, and the
sugar plantations are still running, even
at loss. But the moment they have to
suspend, the conditions will be reversed
at single stroke.
But there is another way of looking al
this Cuban reciprocity question, and thai
is from the standpoint of the business in
terests OF the United Stat es.. While we
buy the vastly larger portion of Cuban
products, we do not sell Cuba so much as
other nations do. Not only that, hui
while the total of our exports.is decreas.
ing, the total of the exports of Other
nations is increasing. Our exports tc
Cuba fell from $29, $50, 900 in 1899 to s2S,.
4O9,25S In 1901, while the exports from
other countries increased from $36, 72S, 0O(
to $39, $780, 900. (The exports of coin arr
neglected in all these fgures.) And, as
matter Of fact, on a basis of tariff
equality, other nations can sell the
Cubans many kinds of merchandise ant
products at. lower prices than we can
But this reciprocity plan is not a one
sided one. In return for our preferenc,
Tor Cuban products we are to get a pref
erence for our goods and products, whicl
should soon give US almost complete con
troll of the islands trade, as indeed, othe.
nations already begin to perceive ant
fear. And this trade is to be a great one
1t Is not the trade Of a "servile'' o,
i'cooke' population. That kind of immi
grafton has never been welcome in Cuba
and OF the 10000 persons who went int,
Cuba last year. only 1900 were Chinese
The philippines and Hawaii are clamorin,
for cheap labor. Cuba wants none Of it
Cuba ds inhabited largely by men of thu
white races, and it's standards are com
ing more to be those of the United
States. MIR. Place, leading Havan,
merchant, estimates that under reciproci
ty the mutual trade Of the United State
and Cuba would in two years amount t,
$3.50. 0o0, GOO.
on the one hand we have the chance t,
get this great trade by making Cuba pros
porous; on the other, we have the chanc