The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1902-01-25
Live and Let Live.

/ NODk l EAhS dSO duOuO tlllo 'i''S
all eyes were directed to Cuba
and all ears listening to the mag
ical appeals in her behalf sent up from
the congress-appeals which rarely
find their equal in literature and
stamped their creators as foremost in
oratory That was four years ago.
These orations fired the patriotic heart
and urged intervention in behalf of the
struggling Cubans. Then came the
blowing up of the battleship Maine,
followed by the war with Spain. The
result is Cuba for the Cubans.
Do We speak Alright? Is Cuba really
free and independent? Not long ago an
election was held, president and con-
gress chosen, and to all appearances
government established by the popular
will of the people. But Cuban indie
pendence still has string to it. The
conditions imposed upon that island by
the United States are
l. Cuba can make no treaties with
foreign nations without the consent OF
the United States.
> Cuba must contract no debts With
out permission of the United States.
8. Cuba must assent to the inter
vention of the United States at any
time in her internal affairs. even in
the matter of police regulation.
These terms TO which the United
States have subjected Cuba have put
that island back into a condition, poll
tically, similar to that which existed
under Spanish rule. The war of lib
Grafton" has resulted merely in an ex-
change of masters And in this eX-
change the former Spanish task
master was less eXacting than the
one which holds the tariff whip
over Cuba's head. and for lack of
better designation we might call the
beet sugar master. Cuba is indeed free,
endowed with the privilege of starry
ing to death under the conditions i'm
posed by the country which beat back
the Spaniard from her island shores.
Let us come to definite facts. Cuba
is an agricultural country. Her two
principal products are sugar and to-
bacco in the raw material. Her chief
importations are from the United
States. Of her total exports, the an
nual value of which is $63,0OO,O 900. not
less than $45OOO,0OO is drawn to the
United States. On all imports from the
United States to Cuba the people of
that island have to pay duties fixed by
United States officials; and on all
Cuba's importations to the United
States the Cubans under a law of
approved by the president,
are obliged to pay duties as high as
any duties imposed by the United
States on the least favored foreign ma
tions.
If Cuba were really independent she
would be in position to enter into such
commercial regulations with the Unit
ed States and other nations as best
suited her interests. If she were a
state in the Union she would be, as
Utah is, free from the exactions of our
tariffs, which, in her case, instead of
practically operate as a
tariff. But now, in this
be regulated as if the strings were
ours
The president is in patriotic sympa-
thy with the efforts of Cuba to gain |
a foothold in the commercial world, J
and pointed out to congress the neces- I
sity of some mitigation in the existing
tariff laws. The secretary of war
lately said
THE prosperity of Cuba depends |
upon finding a market for her princi-
pal products-sugar and tobacco-at I
reasonable profit. Under the ex-
listing provisions of the United States
tariff law the prices which can be !
realized for Cuban sugar and large
part of the Cuban tobacco in this !
(American) market are not sufficient
to yield a living profit to the
producer
The fact is amplifed by President
Palma, the first executive officer of the
island. 1t is also strengthened by the
report of Major General Wood, who
acted as military governor of Cuba.
The united business interests of the
island have petitioned for concessions,
asking congress only to enact a policy
Of live and let live. But how are these
entreaties for simple justice and Pc
-iuon TO be allowed to live met by the
selfish portion of the American people?
Here in Utah. for instance, we raise
sugar beets. 1t pays to raise sugar
oeets. AT the time it did not pay so
well as raising alfalfa. or turnips. or
other farm products, the state paid a
bounty to the man raising sugar beets.
The alfalfa farmer kicked, but he was
an enemy to home industry and all
other patriotic fads So he was ac-
'ordingly taxed to pay the beet bounty
ana taxed on the sugar produced from