Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1902-06-19
THE PRESIDENTS MESSAGE.
Asks That McKinIeys Pledges Be
Fulfilled.
NATIONAL HONOR AT STAKE.
The PRESIDENT sent the Following message to

The president sent the following message to
congress:
To the senate and the house: deem it i'm
portant before the adjournment OF the present
session Of congress to call attention to the ex-
press;ons in the message, which, in the dis
charge of the duty imposed upon me BY the
constitution, / sent TO congress the first Tues
day of December last:
= Elsewhere 1 have discussed the question of
reciprocity. In the case of Cuba however:
there ere weighty reasons of morality, and of
national interest why the policy should be
held to have peculiar application and most
earnestly ask your attention to the wisdom,
indee, to the vital need of providing for sub
stantial reduction in the tariff duties on Cuban
imports into the United States. Cuba has, IN
her constitution, affirmed what we desired,
that she should stand, in international matters
in closer and more friendly relations with us
than with any other power; and we are bound
by every consideration of honor and exped1ency
to pass commercial measures in the interest of
her well being.
This Recommendation was. merely giving
practical effect to President McKinley's words,
when, in his message Of December >, 1888 and
December 5, 1899, he wrote: 1T is important
that our relations with these people (of Cuba)
shall be of the most friendly character and our
commercial relations close and reciprocal.
1--WE have accepted a trust. the fulfilnent of
which calls for the sternest integrity Of pur-
pose and exercise of the highest wisdom. The
new Cuba yet to rise from the ashes of the past
must needs be bound to US by the ties of Singh
lar intimacy and strength if its enduring well
fare is to be assured .--.
1.-THE great blessing which can come to Cuba
IL the restoration of her agricultural and in
dustr1al prosperity ::
Yesterday, June IL, received by cable from
the American minister in Cuba most earnest
appeal from President Palma for Legislative
relief before it is too late and Chis) county
financially ruined.
The granting of reciprocity with Cuba is
proposition which stands entirely alone. The
reasons for it far outweigh those OF granting
reciprocity with any other nation and are en-
tirely consistent with preserving 1ntacr the
prospective system under which this country
has thriven so marvelously. The present tariff
law was designed to promote the adoption or
such reciprocity treaty and expressly pro
vided for reduction not to exceed 20 per cent
upon goods coming from particular country
leaving the tariff rates on the same articles
unchanged as regards all other countries. OBJ
lection has been made TO the granting of the
reduction on the grotlnd that the substantial
benefit would not go to the agricultural pie
queer OF sugar Dut wouIa Inure 70 une Al ,',
vision can and should be made which will
guarantee US against this possibility without
having recourse to doubtful policy such &c a
bounty in the form of rebate.
The question to whichif any of the differ
emit schedules of the tariff ought most properly
any way shape. We are concerned with
getting friendly reciprocal agreement with
Cuba; This agreement applies to all the art
our power 70 determine twhat these, brtfcles
will be; and ny.diseussion of the tariff asis
affects special schedules countries otter
than Cuba; is wholly aside from the subject
matter to which now call your attention.
Some Of our citizens oppose the lowering OF
the tariff on Cuban products Just as three
years ago they opposed the admissionSof the
Hawaiian islands, lest free trade With them
might ruin certain of our interests 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 seems to me equally baseless. In my
judgment American industry will be hurt
and many American industries will be bene-
flied by the proposed acti0h. II is to Sur adj
vantage as nation that the gTpwing7 Cuban
market should be controlled = by American
producers. The events following the war with
Spain and the prospective building of the
isthmian canal render it certain that we must
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
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 carrying intimacy by the
Spanish war. Porto Rico and Hawaii have
been included within tariff lines to their
great benefit as well as ours and without any
of the feared detriment to our own industries
The Philippines, which stand in a different
relation have been granted substantial tariff
concession.
Cuba is an important republic but a republic
which has assumed certain special obi cations
as regards her international position in com
pliance with our request. ask for her certain
Special economic concessions in return; these
economic concessions to benefit us as well as
her. There are fewer brighter pages in Ameri-
can history than the page which tells of our
dealings with Cuba during the past four years
In her behalf we waged war of which the
handspring generous Indignation against
oppression and we have kept faith absolutely.
1t is earnestly to be hoped that we will com
plete in the same spirit the record so well be
gun and show by 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 well our,part as world
power.
We a 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 toward
her. 1 ask that we help her as she struggles
upward along the painful and difficult road of
self NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ! ask this aid for
her because She is weak, because she needs it,
because we have already aided her. 1 ask that
open handed help of kind which self re
speeding people can accept, be given to Cuba,
for the very reason that we have given her