The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-06-19
against this possibility, without hav.
Ing recourse to measure Of doubtful
policy such as q bounty in the form Of

Against this possibility, without hav.
Ing recourse to measure Of doubtful
policy such as a bounty in the form Of
rebate
The question as to which II any
OF the different schedules Of the tariff
ought not properly to be revised does
not enter into this matter in any way
or shape. It is concerned with getting
a friendly reciprocal, arrangement
with Cuba. The arrangement applies
to all the articles that Cuba grows or
produces. 1t is. not in our power to
determine what these articles shall
be, and any discussion Of the tariff as
1t affects special schedules, or count
ries other than Cuba, is wholly aside
from the subject matter to which
call your attention.
Some of our citizens oppose the
lowering of the tariff on Cuban pro-
ducts, just as three years ago, they
opposed the admission Of the Hawaiian
Islands, lest free trade with them
might ruin certain of our interests
here. In the actual event these fears
proved baseless as regard Hiwaii, and
their apprehensions as to the damage
to any industry of our own because of
the proposed reciprocity is baseless.
In my Judgment. no American indus
tries will be hurt and many American
industries will be benefited by the pro-
posed action. 1t is to our advantage
as a nation that a growing Cuban
market should be controlled by Amer
lean producers.
"The events following the war with
Spain and the prospective building of
the isthmian canal, render it certain
that we must take In the future 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 20.
litically, and we should put her in the
same exceptional position economical.
~. The proposed action is in line with
the course we have pursued as regards
all the islands with which we have
been brought into relations Of varying
intimacy by the Spanish war. Porto
Rico and Hawaii have been included
within our tariff laws, to their great
benefit as well as ours, and without any
Of the detriment to our interests. The
philippines, which stand in different
relation, have been granted substantial
tariff concessions.
"Cuba is an independent republic,
but republic which has assumed
certain special obligation as regards
her international position in compli-
ance with our request. ask for her
certain special economic concessions
to benefit us as we'll as her.
On her behalf we waged war of
which the spring was generous indigna.
ton against oppression and we have
kept faith absolutely. It Is earnestly
to be hoped that we will complete In
the same spirit, the record SO we'll be-
gun, and show in our dealings to Cuba
that steady continuity of policy which
Is essential for our nation to establish
in foreign affairs, we desire to play our
part as world-power.
I'VE are a wealthy and a powerful
nation, Cuba is a young republic still
weak, who owes to us her indepen-
dence, whose whole future, whose very
life must be dependent on our attitude
towards her. l ask that we help her
as she struggles upwards along the
painful and difficult road of self-govern-
ing independence. ask this aid for
her because she IL weak, because she
needs it, because we have aided. / ask
that open-handed help, OF kind which
self-respecting people can accept, be
given to Cuba, for the very reason that
we1have given her such help In the
past. Our soldiers fought to give her
freedom; and for three years our rep.
resentatives, civil and military, have
toiled increasingly, facing disease Of
peculiarly sinister and fatal type With
patience and accomplishing fortitude,
to teach her how to use her freedom
Alright.
Never in history. has any alien
country been thus administered,
with such high integrity of pur.
pose such wise Judgment and
such a single-handed devotion to
the countrys interests. Now I
ask that the Cubans be given all pos.
sible chance to use to the best advan.
tage the freedom of which Americans
have such right to be proud, and for
which so many American lives have
been sacriflced.-Theodore Roosevelt,
White house, June 10, 1902"