Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-06-19
ROOSEVELT
URGES ACTION
PRESIDENT SENDS EXPECTED
MESSAGE TO SENATE.
Declares Reasons for Granting of Con-
cessions to Island Far Outweigh
Those With Any other Nation and
Entirely Consistent With Our
Policy in the Past.

| Washington, June 14.-President
Roosevelt sent message to congress
yesterday on the subject Of Cuban
reciprocity. The message clearly
states the presidents views on the
subject and advocates the reduction
plan.
After talking first with number Of
the leaders in congress regarding Gu
ban reciprocity, the president deter
mined to send message to congress
reaff1rming his attitude on the SUBJ
ject. The president has earnestly
considered the matter for several
days, and it is stated that the action
of the anti-reciprocity republican SEN
ators in deciding to hold out against
the policy advocated by the majority
of the party did not influence the pres
ident in the least in deciding to trans
NIT his message to congress today.
i It was generally known that the
president was to send in message up
on the subject, and during the early
hours of the session a great deal OF
interest was manifested in what the
executive might say.
I The presidents message is in part
as follows: ..r
Yesterday, June IL, received by
cable from the American minister in
Cuba a most earnest appeal from
i President Palma for Legislative re-
lief before it is too late and (his)
country financially ruined.
''The granting of reciprocity with
Cuba is proposition which stands en-
tirely alone. The reasons for it far
outweigh those for granting reciproc-
ity with any other nation and are en-
tierly consistent with preserving in
tact the protective system under which
this country has thriven so marvel
ously
THE present tariff law was de-
signed to promote the adoption of
such a reciprocity treaty, and express
ly provided for reduction not to eX-
coed 20 per cent, goods coming from
particular country, leaving the tar
if rates on the same articles un-
changed as regards all other countries.
Objection has been made to the grant
: ing of the reduction on the ground
that the substantial benft would not
( go to the agricultural producer of
sugar, but would inure to tie Ameri
can sugar refiners. In my judgment
! provision can and should be made
: which will guarantee us against this
: possibility; without having recourse
to a measure of doubtful policy, such
| as bounty in the form of a rebate
"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
J here. In the actual event, their fears
| proved baseless as regards Hawaii,
and their apprehensions as to the
damage to any industry of our own
because of the proposed measure of
reciprocity with Cuba seem to me
equally baseless. In my judgment no
. American industry will be hurt and
many American industries will be ben
Gifted by the proposed action. 1t is to
our advantage as nation that the
: trolled by American 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 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 exceptional position econom-
!, ically.
i THE proposed action is in line with
the course We have pursued as re
CARDS all the islands with which we
have been brought into relations of
varying intimacy by the Spanish war.
| Porto Rico and Hawaii have been in
cluded within our tariff lines, to their
great benefit as well as ours, and with
| out any of the feared detriment to
our own industries. The Philippines
which stand in a different relation
have been granted substantial tariff
concessions.
/ Cuba is an Independent republic, but
a republic which has assumed certain
| special obligations as regards her in
ternational position in compliance
with our request l ask for her GER
tain 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 behalf
we waged a war of which the main
spring was generous indignation
against oppression and we have kept
| faith absolutely. 1t is earnestly to be
hoped that we will complete in the
same spirit the record so well begun
and show in our dealings with Cuba
| that steady continuity of policy which
it is essential for our nation to estab-
| fish in foreign affairs if we desire to
| play well our part as a world-power /
| 1--WE are wealthy and powerful
nation; Cuba is young republic still
weak who owes to us her birth, whose
whole future whose very life. must
depend on our attitude towards her. I.
ask that we help her as she struggles
| upwards along the painful and diff
| cult road Of self-governing independ-
ence. I ask this aid for her because :
she is weak, because she needs it,
because we have already aided her [