The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-02-14
The Minneapolis Journals circula-
ion for January, 1902, averaged
KEEP FAITH WITH CUBA!

- H..
late governor. of Matanzas before the
Union League Club of Chicago last night,
charging the government with neglecting
ito do one thing to repair the rayages Of
war in Cuba, and that eve have not
taken q single step to extend the COM
merce Of the country, so as to enable the
island to recover from the devastation of
recent war;" is a rather sweeping indict-
nent. TheaUnited States government has
done much to better the domestic condi-
ton Of the Cubans has given them good
and economical government; introduced
effective sanitary work and a reliable pos
tai system and greatly amplified the edu-
cational facilities all over the island. In
the latter clause of the generals indct-
.ment he is nearly correct. The Unite
States government has done nothing to ex-
tend the commerce of the Cubans, which
is the real key to the material prosperity
of the people. The latter have, by the
military tariff, been allowed reductions
on agricultural machinery and few other
things imported from the United States,
but, on all things that Cuba exports, as
poses tariff duties almost prohibitive.
e The removal of this formidable OBJ
stacle to Cuban prosperity is a matter for
congress to attend to. The government
will further any movement to fulfill our
l:Whole duty to Cuba fer there is a duty to
perform in this very direction, and if
we do not perform it, the nation will be
,,rf1, OH IL lo1 yr1,
in spite of the reiterated declara ton of
those who are unwilling to abate the
rigidity of the tariff one iota, that the
United States is under no obligation to
do something for Cuba.'' 1t is singular
that the newspapers taking this position
are largely advocating the annexation of
Cuba which would, of course, open the
food gates for Cuban sugar and tobacco
and every other Cuban product, kind OF
Importation which the Oxnards say will
ruin the beet sugar industry, although
Henry Oxnard and Professor Wyley Of the
. agricultural department., are on record as
declaring, two years ago, that the beet
sugar industry would not be injured a
particle, if sugar is admitted free. The
lists are great and wonderful. The!
were told, recently by Senator o. H
Plat, whose amendment which pre-
vents the Cubans from selling theil
products to other countries to the disad-
vantage of the United States, was forced
Ion the Cuban constitutional convention
gave warning to the extremists, the other
hot ba nf ic
in far more danger Of being wounded il
the house of it's friends than it ever wa:
in danger of being injured by it's enc.
mics" And it is true. Senators Proctor
and Fairbanks of Vermont, also -protec.
tionists, take the same view, and sucl
pronounced protectionist journals as the
New York Tribune and the Philadelphia
Press advocate tariff concessions to Cubs
as national duty, and this position i
taken by many other protection news
papers, who believe Mckinley was con
spicuously right when he came GU
strongly favorable to a policy of liberia
tariff concessions to countries which
would make equally valuable concessions
to US. Under such policy this nation
would have the whole Cuban trade, which
would rapidly increase under such condi
tions - ..... .,.s
The New York Chamber OF Com
merce, representing every shade of opin
ion, last Friday adopted resolutions favor
ing tariff concessions where reciprocal
concessions can be obtained, and especial.
favoring Cuba and giving her a steppins
stone to prosperity, as matter of ma
tional good faith and honor The sam'
sentiment is growing in the northwest
The only response to this development
OF public sentiment by the leaders of tn
majority in congress is to reduce the in
ternal revenue taxation ST., 0O0,0 900 AM
promise to force the measure through
without opportunity given for amendment
and intimate that Cuba may be given
20 or % per cent reduction of tariff duties
the latter intimation resulting from tn
undeniable growth of opposition to
narrow and selfish policy toward a peopl
we are pledged to help to their feet, afte
we had helped them out of the dee
Spanish pit of despair A few years ag
there was a wild agitation in this countr
ito do something for silver Something
was done for silver, and the result wa
disastrous, leaving the government
'.stuck"s to the extent of hundreds OF mil
lions in silver dollars and silver bullion