Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-06-18
APPEALS FOR RELIEF
President Roosevelt Sends Special
: Message to Congress.
We Are n Powerful Nation, He Says, and
Can Afford to Help the Weak-DOes
Not VItiate the Protective
Tariff System.

Washington, June 14.-President
Roosevelt sent a special message to
congress yesterday urging tariff
concessions to Cuba. After quoting
extracts from President McKinley's
last message in favor of such action
and his own message of last Decem-
Der reiterating President McKinley's
views, he says:
Yesterday, June Il, I received by cable
from the American minister in Cuba a
most earnest appeal from President Pal
ma 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 ma
ton, and are entirely consistent with pre-
serving intact the protective system un-
der which this country has thriven SO
marVelouSly. The present tariff law was
designed to promote the adoption of such
a reciprocity treaty and expressly pro-
Vided for reduction not to exceed 20
per cent. upon goods coming from a par
ticular country, leaving the tariff rates
on the same articles unchanged re-
CARDS all other countries. Objection has
been made to the granting of the redue-
ton on the ground that the substantial
benefit would not go to the agricultural
producer of sugar, but would inure ta
the American sugar reflners. In my
Judgment provision can and should be
made which will guarantee against
this possibility, without having recourse
to doubtful policy. such as a bounty in
the form of a rebate.
The question as to which, if any, OF
the different schedules of the tariff ought
most properly to be revised does not
enter into this matter in any way
shape, We are concerned with getting
a friendly reciprocal arrangement with
Cuba This arrangement applies to all
hatT ff.nI.ne
duces. 1t is not in our power to deter
mine 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 call your attention.
Some of our citizens oppose the lower
ing of the tariff on Cuban products, just
as three years ago they opposed the ad-
mission of the Hawaiian islands, lest
free trade with them might ruin certain
of our interests here. In the actual event
their fears proved baseless as regards
Hawaii, and their approximations as to
the damage to any industry of our own
because of the proposed measure of reci-
proeity with Cuba seem to me equally
baseleSs. In my judgment no American
industry will be hurt, and many Ameri-
can industries will be benefited by the
proposed action. 1t is to our advantage
as nation that the growing Cuban mar
ket should be controlled by American
producers.
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 an exceptional footing politically,
and we should put her in the same ex-
ceptonal position economically. The
proposed action is in line with the course
we have pursued as regards all the is
lands with which we have been brought
into relations of varying intimacy by the
Spanish war. Porto Rico and Hawaii
have been included with our tariff lines,
to their great benefit we'll as ours,
and without any of the feared detriment
to our own industries. The Philippines,
which stand in different relation, have
been granted substantial tariff cOnces-
sions.
Cuba is an Independent republic, but a
republic which. has assumed certain spe-
cial obligations as regards her interna@
uonal position in compliance with our
request. I ask for her certain special
economic concessions in return, these
economic concessions to benefit us as
well 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 war, of which the main
spring was generous indignation against
oppression, and we have kept faith alb
soluteiy. 1t is earnestly to be hoped
that we will complete in the same spirit
the record so well begun, and show in
dealings with Cuba that sturdy con-
tinuity of policy which it is essential
for our nation to establish in foreign
affairs If we desire to play we'll our part
as a world-power.
We are a wealthy and powerful ma
tIon; Cuba is a young republic, still
weak, who owes to us her birth, whose
whole future, whose very life, must de-
pend our attitude toward her 1 ask
that we help her as she struggles up
ward along the painful and difficult road
of self-governing independence. I ask
this aid for her, because she is weak,
because she needs 1t, because we have
already aided her. 1 ask that OPEN
handed help. of a kind which a self
= respecting people can accept, be given
to Cuba for the very reason that we
have given her such help in the past.
Our soldiers fought to give her freedom;
civil and military. have toiled unceasing-
ly, facing disease of a peculiarly sinister
and fatal type with patient and uncom-
planning fortiutde to teach her how to
use Alright her new freedom. Never in
history has any alien country been thus
administered, with such high integrity
Of purpose, such wise judgment and such
single-handed devotion to the country's
interests. Now I ask that the Cubans
be given all possible chance to use to
the best advantage the freedom of which
Americans have such right to be proud,
and for which many American lives
have been sacrificed.