New-York tribune., 1902-06-14
qur PRESIDENTS APPEAL FOR CUBA.


The Presidents message on Cuba Is tiliiei'
There NAV be those who think IL shouiu nav
heon semi in long ago. 1t is true that the Presl
dent is consttutionally enjoined 10 recoill'iieu
| 70 tho consideration of Congress from time 10
+tr,o sr,b measures as he shall judge neces-
sarv and expedient, and ne may do that as IRE
o,,a,.I,. nc ba secs fit. The natural and proper
5asra IA avoid seeming 10 try to dictate 10 tue
National legislature may however. Wen CON
strain +ba national executive 10 exercise tli'''
privilege sparingly and only in cases OF urgent
mood In his annual message of last beCeh-
her. as he now reminds Congress- MI hooae
Welt recommended for consideration the meas
ure of reciprocity with Cuba, which ne Juuseu
both necessary and expedient. SIX lhohths h"'e
passed without definite action upon Ills recon-
meudation. Surely that is sufficient time loi
even the most deliberative assembly 1t Is Wen
that the President has thus given congress
annie time in which to act without lul'iet
urpiug. But now that such time has PasSeu'
and there is no more prospect OF action 'h'in "'
.he beginning it is fitting that he should rene"
his words of six months ago in no uncertain
tone.
His message is explicit and to the point. He
sweeps away all attempts TO Involve the ISSUE
with others more or less irrelevant Inc
saws lis a proposition which stands en'lrelS
..alone" II has nothing TO do with RECIPROCITY
with other countries for the reason that Cuoa
relations with us-at our own insfsten"e-are
different from those of any other country. II
has nothing 10 do with general tariff revision
or tariff schedules. 1t is already provided Tor III
the existing tariff law. II is simply queStioi
between the United States and Cupa-"Ae'hei'
having required Cuba 10 treat Us on an eAcep-
tional footing politically, we shall not put her
in the same exceptional position economlcaHS'
whether, having deprived her of her old market
va shall NOT open TO her a new one; Whether'
having successfully freed her from bondage ana
having kept the faith of our self-deny1ng pleuse'
u,a shall not complete our work by giving her
commercial freedom and the industrlai means
of life Such is the question which me fFesi-
dent argues with earnest and, we trust' COLI
vincing zeal.
rb. massage enthusiastically clears the air.
There have been some adroltly insplreu ruiiloi'
Of late that the President has agreed to the
hybrid and spurious bounty or rebate system
they are swept away by this message, which
argues and pleads for reciprocity pure and sim
rIe and nothing else and which mentions re-
h.,as and bo,lnties only TO decry such scheme
ne of doubtful policy. In brief Mr. Roosevelt
MAINLY reatirmS his own straightforward rec
concentrations of last December. and those oi
his Iamented predecessor Of December. 1898
and December. 1899. He stands by his own
policy. by McKinley's policy. by the long estao-
Iisbad and invariably successful policy OF the
Republican party. There can be no turlher
doubt or question as TO where he STANDS. we
believe there is none as to where the RepuDhcah
Marty as a whole stands, or as to what the
American people. by an Overwhelming majority,
desire. The President has pleaded the case so
directly and so strongly that he should have the
unhesitating support of every member of his
marty in Congress- If there are those WHO VIII
stiT hold out against the Administration,
deening that q light thing. it will he well FOR
them 10 take heed lest they find themselves
holding out against the will of the American
n4ople. which not even they can esteem slight
thing. Nominally the Presidents message is an
appeal for Cuba. In higher sense II is an ap
peal for the United States-for the vindicat1on
of national honor and the promotion of nationai
welfare. We are not willing TO believe that
such an appeal can fail TO have effect