The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1902-06-20
NO. D.
RELIEF FOR CUBA
URGED BY PRESlUENT IN HIS
MESSAGE TO CONGRESS.
Our Duty to the Republic Is Not Yet Com.
plete-ls q Weak Nation and Needs the
Help Of Our Country Would Merely Be
Giving Practical Effect to President Nc.
knlsys Words.

Washington, June 16.-The president
has sent message to congress, in part
as follows:
To the senate and house of represent
atives-I deem it important, before the
adjournment of the present session of
congress, to call attention to the fol-
lowing expressions in the message,
which, in the discharge of the duty inn
posed upon me by the constitution,
sent to congress the first Tuesday of
December last:
Elsewhere l have discussed the
question of reciprocity. In the case of
Cuba, however, there are weighty rea-
sons of morality and of national inte-
rests why the policy should be held to
have peculiar application, and must
earnestly ask your attention to the
wisdom, indeed to the vital need, of
providing for a substantial reduction
in the tariff duties on Cuban imports
into the United States. Cuba has in
her constitution affirmed what we de-
sired, that she should stand in inter-
national matters in closer and more
friendly relations with us than with
any other power, and we are bound by
every consideration of honor and ex-
pediency to pass commercial measures
in the interest of her we'll being"
This recommendation was merely
giving practical effect to President Nc
kinley's words when, in his message
CT December 5, 1899, he wrote:
'It is important that our relations
with this people of Cuba shall be of
the most friendly character, and our
commercial relations close and recipro-
cal"
Objections have been made to the
granting of the reduction on the ground
that the substantial benefit would not
go to the agricultural producer of sugar,
but would inure to the American sugar
retneries. In my judgment, provision
can be made which will guarantee us
against the possibility, without having
recourse to doubtful policy, such as a
bounty in the form of a rebate.
We are 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
depend on our attitude toward her. |
ask that We help her as she struggles
upward along the painful and difficult
road Of self government and independ-
ence. l ask this aid for her because
he is weak, because she needs it, be.
cause we have already aided her. | ask
that open handed help, OF kind
which self respecting people can ac-
cept, 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, and for three years
our representatives, civil and military,
have toiled increasingly, facing disease
II a peculiarly sinister and fatal type,
with patient and uncomplaining forti-
tude, to teach her how to use Alright
her new freedom. Never in history
has any alien country been thus ad-
ministered with such high integrity of
purpose, such wise judgment, and such
single handed devotion to the coun-
try's interest. Now. 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 SO many Amer
ican lives have been sacrificed.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.