Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1902-07-12


at home, and the glory OF the republic
abroad. It Is, therefore the sense 81
this convention that President Roose-
welt succeed himself as president of
the United States.,' <(~..c
Now be- it remembered that the one
measure for which Roosevelt has la
bored more earnestly than any other,
the one he has declared to be the ga
cred duty OF this country to adopt, is
the proposed reciprocity with Cuba.
He has laid such stress on this, has
used his personal influence so persist
emily for this that an unqualified en-
dorsement of him must mean endorse
ment of his Cuban policy, if it means
anything at all. Be it further remem-
bered that the entire Minnesota dele
CATION has used every means in its
power to oppose this policy of the
president. In vain have the president
and the house leaders labored with
them on this point. The endorsement
of Roosevelt's ''devotion to the inter-
ests of the entire country" and the
declaration that "his official efforts
continue and advance the prosperity
of the people, are therefore a direct
slap at the entire Minnesota delega-
ton in congress.
The platform makers evidently rea-
lized this, and therefore D little far
ther on they inserted this plank:
"W favor reciprocity with Cuba
urged by President Roosevelt, by a
plan which shall insure the profitable
interchange of commodities, inure to
the advantage of both nations, help
the Cuban people needing assistance,
but the chief benefits of which shall
not enrich trusts, monopolies or for
eign spectators, or which shall not
interrupt our home production.
This plank is a slap at the presi-
dents pet measure. No one can deny
that if the Cuban raw sugar is admit
ted at reduced duties while the differ
entail on refined sugar remains, the
Havemeyer sugar trust will reap the
benefit. Nor does any one deny that
it would affect the home production of
beet sugar. The Minnesota delega-
tion voted against the bill even after
they had aided in getting the differen-
tial IT moved. If they had any reason
at all for that vote it was that the
measure would "interrupt our home
productions, and the platform there
fore endorses them on that stand. To
place that beyond any possibility of |
misunderstanding the last plank of
the platform contains the following
unqualified endorsement of the dele
cation:
'"The republican party of MINES ota |
lndOrses its representatives from this |
state in congress, is proud of their
ability, courage, independence and |
experience in shaping legis lation, car
ing for the interests of our common
wealth, insisting upon the rights of its |
members and maintaining the interests |
OF the producing classes of the west, |
bringing added glory and honor to the |
state they so ably represent.
That is straight enough to be under
stood by any one. 1t means that the |
delegation was right and Roosevelt
wrong; that he was trying to injure
the producing classes Of the west, and |
that the delegation deserves praise
for blocking him in that attempt.
But the republican press of the state
has almost without exception endorsed |
the president and denoun led the &C.
ton of the delegation. It has declared |
that it is the plain duty of this coun-
try to give Cuba better trade relations
with our country, and that it would
also be to the interests of the west by
opening the Cuban markets to our
agricultural products. The last reso-
luton is therefore slap at the repub-
lican press of the state as we'll as at
the president. OF course it will swal-
low the bitter pill and pretend that it
likes it, but it will be hard to work
up any genuine enthusiasm in it's ef-
forts to re. elect the congressional del
egation.