The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-03-07
The CUBAN PROBLEM
chairman Payne Makes Plain
Statement Of Facts.
CABINET UNITED ON The SUBJECT.
The Proposition Of Twenty Per
Cent Reduction ON sugar Likely
to Delay Annexation of Is-
land For Many Years.

10 DeAay ANNEXATION OF Ah-
land For Many Years.
WASHINGTON, March 4 Chair
man Payne Of the ways and means
committee has given out the following
authorized statement in connection
with the discussion over Cuban reel
procity
Y think the large majority Of the
Republicans have made up their minds
that we must do something for Cuba.
There are three propositions presented
which have this professed end in view.
The proposition Of MI. Morris (NIinn.l
provides for an increase In the tariff
on sugar to the outside world and q
rebate on sugar imported from Cuba.
1t does not seem to me that many
Republicans are willing to increase the
duty on sugar Then there is the prop
osition of Mr. Tawney to vote between
$7,000,000 and $S.00O,O00 directly into
the Cuban treasury and to ask the
Cuban government to distribute about
50, 100000, according to his figures, to
native Cuban planters This first pay
ment is to be paid without any COM
pensation from Cuba in any way or
manner, pure gift to the Cuban gov
eminent. 1t hardly needs the opinion
of a lawyer to say that such a pro-
cedure would be unconstitutional His
proposition fnrther is to pay a like
sum yearly on the granting of recip-
rocal concessions and the passage of
our immigration and exclusion laws.
"Of course no bounty of this kind
could be distributed without scandal
and d fraud In the next place, seven
eighths of the Cuban laborers would
still remain without work. 1t would
be just as easy for the sugar trust to
obtain concession on the sugar they
bought on account of the bounty as to
obtain a concession where the planter
knew he was to have 20 per cent
concession in duty. SO that Mr.. Taw-
ney's proposition has no advantages
over that for 20 per cent reduction,
and it has the disadvantages named.
The third proposition is that for a
20 per cent reduction of duties. This
would injure no home industry. Cou-
pied with the provision to extend our
exclusion laws to Cuba, no one APP
pearing before the committee on ways
and means contended that it would
so injure home industries. All agreed
that the price of sugar to the Ameri-
can consumer would remain the same.
Nor would it inure to the benefit of
the sugar trust. The witnesses be-
fore the committee united in testify
ing and the statistics prove that the
trust has received no benefit in buying
sugar, either in Hawaii or Porto Rico,
since the duty was reduced or remov-
ed. The entire benefits have been reap
ed by the planters in these islands.
We have every reason to believe the
same would prove true as to Cuba.
Many misleading statements as to the
attitude OF the president, the cabinet
and the house Republicans are appear
ing in the newspapers cannot speak
of conferences with the president.
But have every assurance that the
cabinet is not divided on this question,
nor has majority of the house Repub-
licans committed themselves either to
the Morris, the Tawney or the do moth
ing policy. The proposition of a 20
per cent reduction, If adopted, will put
off. in my judgment, the annexation of
Cuba for many years. She will not
come in until her population is Ameri-
canized 1t will settle the question for
generations to come and give rest and
tranquility to the sugar business. If
the reduction is made, no further
change will be made until we have an
nexation and free, trade. To refuse to
do anything would put the house in a
position hostile to the president, would
cause uncertainty and feeling Of APP
prehension to the producers of sugar in
the United States and would be ut
terly demoralizing.