The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1902-06-20
URGES CONGRESS
TO KEEP FAITH.
President Roosevelt Sends Special Message to That
Body Regarding Reciprocity with Cuba-Asks
+e9- That Special Concessions BE Granted. =


ket should be controlled by American
producers. ~ -.
An Equitable ARRANGEMENT.
.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 inter-
than hitherto in. what happens through
out the West Indies, Centraf America ana
the djacent coasts and waters. Nv esexpect
Cuba to treat us on an exceptional footing
politically, and we should put her in the
same exceptional position economically.
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 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 sub
stantial tariff concessions.
Asks Cor Special Concessions
Cuba is an Independent republic, but a
republic which has assumed certain special
obligations as regards her international po-
sition in compliance with our request. ask
for her certain special economic conces-
sions 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 absolute
ly. 1t is earnestly to be hoped that We will
complete in the same spirit the record so
we'll begun, and show in our dealings with
Cuba that steady continuity of policy which
it is essential for our nation to establish
in foreign affairs if We desire to play we'll
our part as world-power.
feed.
The Strong Should Help the Weak
1--WE are wealthy and powerful ma
ton; Cuba is a young republic, still
weak, who owes to US her BIRTH whose
whole future, whose very life must de-
pend on our attitude towards her. I ask
that we help her as she struggles up-
wards along the painful and difficult
road Of self-governing independence. |
ask this aid for her. because she is weak,
because she needs it, because we have
already aided her. 1 ask that open-hand-
ed help, of kind which a self-respectins
people can accept, 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 mill
tary, have toiled INCREASINGLY. facing dis
ease of a peculiarly sinister and fatal
y
fortitude, to teach her how to use arlght
her new freedom. Never in history has
any alien country been thus administered,
with such high integrity of purpose, sucn
wise judgment, and such singte-handeo
devotion to the country's interests. NOW
I ask that the Cubans be given all pos
sible chance to use to the best advantage
the freedom of which Americans have
such right to be proud. and for which
so many American lives have been sacri-
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
white House. June 10. 1907
Eject of the Message.
Washington, June 14.-The presl'
dents reciprocity message gave sena-
tors a live topic of conversation, but
so far as is yet apparent there Is no
change in the situation. There was
disposition on the part of the leaders
on both sides of the controversy to
claim when speaking publicly some adj
vantage from the message. The
straight reciprocity men urged that
the effect would be to cause at least
some of the beet sugar republicans tC
abandon their opposition. They con-
tended that many of them had misun-
derstood the attitude of the president
and now that this had been made clear
there could be no longer excuse for
opposing straight reciprocity meas
ures. The message, they argued
would clear the atmosphere, render
the presidents attitude unmistakable,
and therefore bring opponents within
the party face to face with the fact
that in continuing their opposition
they are antagonizing the official head
of the party.