The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-26
The House and the Cuban RcciprOc-
ity Treaty.

The House and the Cuban RcciprOc-
ity Treaty.
The text of the treaty negotiated at
Havana by Gen. TAsKER H. BLISS and
now before the Senate for ratification
mas been procured from Havana by our
neighbor the Tribune, which printed the
same in full Yesterday.
The treaty is simply one of reciprocity
on Cuban products imported into the
United States preferential rates one-fifth
less than those of the Dingley schedules
and on American products entering Cuba
preferential rates reducing the regular
Cuban tariff twenty per cent, twenty-five
per cent, thirty per cent. and forty per
cent, on different classes Of goods. This
reciprocity is provided for five years, and
thereafter indefinitely until one yea after
one or the other republic shall have
given notice of an intention to terminate
the arrangement. There are the usual
provisions for protecting each contract
ing party in the enjoyment Of the pref
erential rates agreed upon.
This instrument, as We have just re-
marked, is purely commercial con-
tract. 1t contains no political feature
and is not intended to carry out the
obligation which Cuba undertook, when
it adopted its Constitution. to embody
in a permanent treaty the stipulations Of
the Platt amendment.
1t will be seen at a glance that the
small tariff concession to Cuba here pro-
posed-pitifully small il considered from
the point Of view of those who hold
the ideas of justice and policy which
were urged so eloquently by President
MCKINLEY and repeated so forcibly by
his successor, President RoosEvELT-is
purchased by still larger concessions
to American trade. This aspect Of the
transaction was well stated few weeks
ago in an address delivered at Chicago
by Gen. JAMES H. WILSON, one of the
closest students of Cuban conditions
and himself an advocate not merely Of
partial reciprocity but Of absolute COM
mercial union with Cuba. Gen WILSON
put it in this way:
The simple fact is that Cuba does no, come to
us as beegar. but with full hands asking for fair
exchange. which viii not only enrich her, but add
greatly to our own prosperity. II has been stated
that Of every ten dollars enable her to make out
OF her products she viii for years give US nine as
pront upon the goods she will take from us in ex
change. and believe that this statement Is within
the limits OF probability"
The pending treaty provides that rat-
fications must be exchanged before
Jan. 81, 1903. and that the convention
shall 60 into effect ten days after such
exchange.
Supposing the treat y in it's present form
should be ratified by the Senate, either
before the end of January next or dur
ing February by mutual agreement to
extend the time limit, would it become
operative as a reciprocity measure ten
days later without additional and con.
current legislation by the Senate and
the House?
The power to make reciprocity treaties
which the Dingley act Of 1897 specifically
conferred upon the President and Sen.
ate, and the power to proclaim the same
and thus modify the tariff. which the
Dingley act conferred upon the President
after the treaty should have been duly
ratified by the Senate and approved b,
Congress. expired by limitation in 1899
That special power was granted by the
law for period Of two years only.
Even the Kasson reciprocity treaties
that are still pending can be ratified and
put into effect now only under the gen.
eral treaty-making power, not under Sec,
ton Of the Dngley act. Although the,
were negotiated within the two years
they were not ratified within the tim,
required by the Dingley law, and they ar,
practically dead so far az that specia
statutory provision is concerned.
II is only about ten days since Senator
CULLoM made public the report Of ,
subcommittee, subsequently adopted b,
the Committee on Foreign Relations, e.
tablshing the principle that the Pres
dents and the Senate's initiative in tn,
matter Of these reciprocity treaties doe,
not depend upon Section Of the Dngle,
act, and is not affected by the expiratio
OF the two years limit therein imposed
At the same time the Committee OF
Foreign Relations recommend that eacl
OF the Kasson treaties be amended b,
inserting the following provision:
This treaty shall not take erec, until the sam
shall have been approved By the Congress"
This ia simply because these treaties
could not take effect until both Hous'
and Senate had acted upon their pro
visions modifying the tariff, owing to tn,
Constitutional requirement that revenue
legislation shall originate in the Hous
Of Representatives.
Now, the Cuban reciprocity treat.
stands in precisely the same relation Il