The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-15
TAWNEY ON CUBA

With his usual courage of conviction
and his customary audacity, Congressman
James A. Tawney of. the first district,
vigorously defended opposition to reel
procity with Cuba, in speech before the
Seventh Ward Republican club last night.
Mr.. Tawney stated q, that conces-
sions to Cuba were demanded on three
grounds, each of which, he proved to his
own satisfaction, was without substance.
These three grounds are the pressing
needs of the Cuban people, the honor of
the United States and. the increase Of
trade that would follow the adoption OF
liberal reciprocity policy.
1t is now generally conceded that Cuba
Is in a good economic condition az =. 60
ent. 1t is admitted that on the planta-
tions and the railroads and in the rural
police SO many thousands, Of men are now
employed that labor Is scarce and high.
But the railroads are Being built with
foreign capital and their construction
cannot continue indefinitely. Hence the
prosperity that depends on them is tran
sient Much of the activity on the plan
tations and the consequent large employ
= ment of labor has been in anticipation of
reciprocal trade agreement with the
United States. which would give the
planters a satisfactory margin Of profit.
If that agreement does, not materialize
s 1t may be expected that there will be a
sudden cessation of activity on the plan
tations.. Sugar and tobacco are the great
;, crops Of Cuba, and if there is no profit in
them it can not be reasonably expected
that those engaged in them will long con-
r tinue prosperous, however we'll off they
may be at the moment. -.....'
As for the argument that we have done
enough to satisfy national honor, neither
;: Mr.. Taxney nor any other insurgent has
:; ever been able to prove that position. The
dissatisfaction with Spanish rule in Cuba
was primarily caused by economic dis
tress, rising from the decline of the cane
. sugar industry through the competition
of the beet root sugars Of Europe. Spain
was helpless to relieve this Distress be-
r., cause she controlled no market that could
q, be opened to the Cubans on advantageous
- terms. Now that we have undertaken to
realize the national aspirations Of he
Cubans we are in honor bound to do all
that we can to make happy and prosper
Gus the island that was so disconnected
Under the regime we terminated by force
Of arms. Since that can only be accom-.
. plished through such tariff concessions al
! will give the Cubans profitable access tc
$ the great American markets we cannot
rest assured that we have done all fol-
IS Cuba that we are bound to do by our de-
cision to intervene, so long as we have
~ not made single effort to improve their
economic condition by doing for them that
which we can easily do.
AS to the third point, Mr.%Tawney labors
under the delusion that the total trade OF
Cuba is fixed quantity; that at the most
we can only gain the difference between
. the whole trade of the present and that
portion of it that we now control. He ap-
parently makes no allowance for increase
In trade. Cuba is one of the greatest i'm
porting countries in the world. Its people
are generous spenders. The more money
they make the more they will buy. Under
I the stimulus of freer trade relations with
!, IA United States the trade of Cuba might