Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1902-12-26
Senator Burrows, Michigan, In
Inmates That Cuban Recipro-
city Will Have Enemies.
THINKS REDUCTION TOO GREAT.
Twenty Per Cent Lowering of the
Sugar Tariff Might Be Considered,
but Twenty-Five Per Cent Said to
Be Entirely Too Much.

Washington, Dec. Ex-senator Bur
rows, of Michigan, who was among
the Republicans in opposition to the
bill for Cuban reciprocity at the last
session, gave out an interview yes
terday on the Cuban treaty now be-
fore the senate, in which he makes it
apparent that the treaty may have
rough passage.
There were reasons outside Of the
merits or dement's of that bill,' Sen
ator Burrows said, (which caused Re
publican senators to hold the opinion
that it was undesirable to bring up II
the senate for consideration at that
time. The bill contained PROPOSE
ton for tariff reduction which under
the rules of the senate was open to
limitless amendment. The time was
the eve of congressional election
and an active and aggressive minor
ity party stood ready to offer amend.
ments without end. The Republican
party would have been put on record
as voting against tariff revision; 1t
will revise the tariff when it needs to
be revised, and will revise it as a
whole and not by piecemeal.
In the second place the bill was in
a measure indefinite. 1t authorized
the president to lower the duties
levied on Cuban products in the event
of Cuba granting equivalent conces-
sions to products of the United States.
American industries affected by the
reduction had no means of knowing
the rate of the equivalent duties.
Time Undetermined.
1.-THE time Of the continuance of the
reduced tariff was undetermined by
the bill and American industries could
not tell how long the rates would con.
tinue in effect. and it was claimed
that the reduction of the tariff threat
ened seriously to damage one Ameri-
can industry, the manufacture of beet
sugar.
THE National Association of Beet
Growers will meet in Washington Jan
S to consider the effect Of the treaty
upon their business in Michigan, Kan.
sas. Nebraska and on the Pacific
coast They will reach a decision
whether they can stand a reduction
or not. Some claim that with re-
duction of 20 per cent for fixed time
they can get along. Twenty per cent
reduction, taking the market price of
sugar today, would give protection
to the American producer Of about
] 1-3 cents a pound. That is not
bad protection, in the opinion of some
manufacturers.
In my state alone we have 16 beet |
factories In operation, and six more |
will be ready for the sugar-making |
campaign in 1903. These industries |
represent money investment OF |
about s12,000.6v0, and a good deal OF |
stock is held by the farmers who |
raise the beets to supply the factories. |
Treaty Viii Be Fought.
Il do not suppose that any Repub-
lican who advocates the protective |
tariff will support the treaty. It is
not to be assumed that treaty would |
be ratified providing for the easier
entry of certain American manufac-
lures into Cuba at the sole expense
of another manufacturer of this coun-
try. That is not the reciprocity con-
templated in the Republican national
platform.
IF we enter upon such a policy of
reciprocity We inaugurate war
among American industries which will
be the beginning of the end Of the
American protective system. At least,
the sugar beets of the west may ex-
pect as much consideration as was
given the Goldfish of Massachusetts,
and in the preparation of the New
reciprocity treaty recently
laid before the senate the Goldfish in
duStrY had its dav In court