The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-12
PROMISE OF JUSTICE FOR CUBA.

A Washington correspondent Of the Phil
adelr.ia Press predicts that Cuba will get
JustsC't from Congress this session, for the
reason that the three great factors in leg
islation-the President. the speaker OF the
House and the Republican leaders of the
Senate-"are of one mind in the conviction
that the great national policy of the coun-
try and of the Republican party requires
concessions to Cuba" II will require three
months to accomplish this purpose. A
week ago the correspondent says that the
party was divided between those who de-
manded immediate action Cuba and
those who refused such action The
change has come in part because the agi-
tation has shown that public feeling for
Cuba is much stronger than any one i'm
agined.
If the sentiment in favor of Cuba is
much stronger than some of those in
Washington imagine it is because such
men have not taken into consideration the
American sense of justice. The intelligent
American people know that the administra-
ton practically demanded that the Cuban
constitutional convention should confer
upon the United States all authority to
deal with other nations With all it's local
self-government and independence in local
affairs it's worldwide affairs are in the
hands of the United States as much as
are those of Canada in the hands of the
British government. So understanding, in
telligent American people recognize that
we have put Cuba in our power, and, hav-
ing done so. it is plain duty to promote
the prosperity of the inhabitants Of the
island. Some men who imagine they are
in position to speak for the American
people would be much wiser if they could
take into account the American sense of
fairness
Doubtless many thousand Republicans
have been at a loss to understand why
members or the House should have drifted
into an attitude of hostility to Cuba. 1t
is explained on the ground that if the duty
on sugar were changed for Cuba the Re
publicans representing the few beet-sugar
districts would not be returned. Such
threats were made by the beet-sugar lobby.
Ii is cause for surprise that any man in
the House is so timid as to be panic
stricken by threats Of that kind. In Mich
gan. Nebraska, Colorado, Utah and Cal
ifornia there are beet-sugar interests in
possibly a dozen congressional districts,
two or three of which are Democratic.
What would the beet-sugar people gain by
electing Democrats to the next Congress
Do they think that Democrats who are
proposing reduction OF duties would stand
up for 100 per cent. duty on sugar, simply
to maintain a feeble beet-sugar interest
at home? Would the party which struck
down the widespread wool-growing interest
without conjunction, in 1894, save the To-
Called beet-sugar interest? If the repre-
sentatives whose fear of the bluffs and
threats of the Oxnard lobby is so pitiable
should exhibit a little of the courage that
inspires men who act from a sense of duty
the country would not be witnessing the
spectacle of hesitancy to extend to Cuba
the concessions which two Republican
Presidents and the Republican party gen.
orally declare to be the plain duty of this
/ country to the people of that island.
1t is encouraging to be told that in time
/ the hating and timid will recover from the
/ Oxnard scare. They will get into a state
of mind which will enable them to see that
the proposed reduction of duties in favor
| of Cuba will not lower the 100 per cent.
| duty which the Oxnard people now declare
/ to be necessary to keep their limited sugar
/ Industry alive