Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-06-21
MAKESPLEAFO FOR CUBA
PRESIDENT SENDS A MESSAGE
TO CONGRESS.
Roosevelt Urges Passage of the Reel
procity Bi11-Points to Pledges Full"
filled and Says Good Work Begun
Should Be Completed.

Grating his former recommendations for
the passage of law creating reciprocity
with Cuba and presenting additional ar
guments thereon. The message is as fol-
lows:
ITO the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives: | deem it important before
the adjournment of the present session
of Congress to call attention to the fol-
lowing expressions in the message which
in the discharge of the duty imposed up
On me by the Constitution l sent to Con-
gress on the first Tuesday Of December
last:
Here follow extracts from that docu-
ment)
Yesterday / received by cable from
the American minister in Cuba a most
earnest appeal from President Palma for
Legislative relief before it is too late and
(his) country financially ruined
''The granting Of reciprocity with Cuba
is a proposition which stands entirely
alone. The reasons for 1t far outweigh
those for granting reciprocity with any
other nation, and are entirely consistent
with preserving intact the protective sys-
tenn under which this country has thriv-
en- so marvelously. The present tariff
law was designed to promote the adop-
ton of such a reciprocity treaty, and ex-
pressly provided for a reduction not to
| exceed 20 per cent upon goods coming
| from a particular country, leaving the
tariff rates on the same articles unchang-
| ed as regards all other countries.
"Objection has been made to the grant
ing of the reduction on the ground that
the substantial benefit would not go to
&bo oOrfou1furo1 oP h11%
| would inure to the American sugar re-
| fners. In my judgment provision can
| and should be made which will guaran-
| tee us against this possibility; without
| having recourse to a measure Of doubt
| full policy such as bounty in the form
| of rebate.
1.-THE question as to which, If any, Of
| the different schedules of the tariff ought
| most properly to be revised does not en-
| ter into this matter in any way or shape
| We are concerned with getting a friendly
reciprocal arrangement with Cuba. This
Arrangement applies to all the articles
| that Cuba grows or produces. 1t is not
| in our power to determine what these
articles shall be; and any discussion Of
the tariff as it affects special schedules,
or countries other than Cuba, is wholly
aside from the subject matter to which
I call your attention.
"Some Of our leading citizens oppose
| the lowering of the tariff on Cuban pro-
| ducts, just as three years ago they OPP
posed the admission of the Hawaiian Isl
ands, lest free trade with them might
| ruin certain Of our interests here. In
the actual event their fears proved base
| less as regards Hawaii, and their appre-
| tensions as to the damage to any indus
| try of our own because Of the proposed
| measure of reciprocity with Cuba seem
| to me equally baseless. In my judgment
! no American industry will be hurt, and
many American industries will be bene-
| flied by the proposed action. 1t is to our
| advantage as a nation that the growing
| Cuban market should be controlled by
American producers.
Close Friendship Urged.
1.-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 than hitherto in what happens
| throughout the West Indies, Central
America, and the adjacent coasts and
waters. We expect Cuba to treat us on
should put her in the same exceptional
| position economically.
1.-THE proposed action is in line with
the course we have pursued as regards
| all the islands with which we have been
brought into relations Of varying init
macy by the Spanish war. Porto Rico
| and Hawaii have been included within
| our tariff lines, to their great benefit as
III I l.. Al
feared detriment to our own industries
Cuba is an independent republic, but
a republic which has assumed certain
special obligations as regards her inter-
national position in compliance with our
request. | ask for her certain special
economic concessions in return; these
economic concessions to benefit us as
we'll as her. There are few brighter
pages in American history than the page
which tells of our dealings with Cuba
during the past four years. On her be-
half we waged a war of which the main
spring was generous Indignation against
oppression, and we have kept faith abb
solutely.
ut is earnestly to be hoped that we
will complete in the same spirit the rec
ord so we'll begun, and show in our deal
ings with Cuba that steady continuity
of policy which it is essential for our
nation to establish in foreign affairs if
we desire to play we'll our part as
world power.
eve are a wealthy and powerful ma
ton; Cuba is a young republic, still
weak, who owes to US her BIRTH whose
whole future, whose very life, must de-
pend on our attitude toward her. 1 ask
that we help her as she struggles upward
along the painful and difficult road Of
self-governing independence. l ask this
aid for her, because she is weak, because
she needs it, because we have already
aided her.
81 ask that open-handed help, of
kind which a self-respecting people can
accent. be given to Cuba. for the very