Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-11

DUTY TO CUBA.
Have We Done All That Honor De-
nands.
New York SUM-


mands.
New York SUM-
A Bostonian OF intelligence and sim
cerity puts to us the extreme OF the ar
sument against doing anything further
for the people of Cuba. in the subjoined
communication:
"To the Editor of the Sun-Sir: The
undersigned is one of many who do not
see how the honor of the country is In
volved in the question of reciprocity
with Cuba.
In a purely unselfish endeavor to
give political liberty and self-govern-
ment to the people of Cuba, the people
of the United States have sacrificed
thousands of American lives and ex-
pended hundreds of millions of dollars.
They have taxed themselves to raise
this money for the benefit of an alien
people low in the human scale.
There has been no evidence whatev-
err, that the writer has anywhere per-
ceived that the Cuban people are ap-
preciative of. or in any degree grateful
for, what the American people have
done for them; and they are now beg
ging and demanding that we tax our
selves still further for their pecuniary
benefit.
will you be kind enough to make it
clear why, in your opinion, congress is
In honor bound to take the money out
of the pockets and bread out of the
mouths OF American citizens to put
money into the pockets of the people of
Cuba? 1t will not do to say 1t is mat
ter of honor, or to affirm it to be our
plain duty; it must be shown to be such.
Cuba is now free to work out its own
salvation in its own way, and the un-
dersigned is of those who can not see
that 1t Is our duty to continue to tax
ourselves for Cuba's industrial benefit,
or to bring the labor engaged In the
production of sugar in this country into
closer competition with the cheap labor
of Cuba by lowering the tariff on Cuban
sugar.
Haven't we done about as much for
Cuba as honor demands? Or does hon
or demand that we be more considerate
of Cubans than of Americans?
FREDERICK w. PEABODY.
Boston, Feb. g.
The requirements of national honor,
as of individual honor, can not always
be measured with a yardstick. They
are matters which sometimes have to
be determined by the opinion of expert
authority. rather than to be ascertained
by any process of scientific precision.
We do not know that the obligation
of honor has been stated by anybody
more clearly and concisely than by the
president of the United States in his
annual message to congress. Mr.. Roose-
welt then said:
Elsewhere have discussed the ques-
ton of reciprocity. In the case of Cuba,
however. there are weighty reasons of
morality and of national interest why
the policy should be held to have a PEE
culiar application, and / most earnestly
ask your attention to the wisdom. in
deed to the vital need Of providing for a
substantial reduction in the tariff duties
on Cuban imports into the United
States.
Cuba has in her constitution affirm
ed 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
measures in the interest of her material
well being"
Mr.. Peabody will perceive that Presi-
dent Roosevelt, in this brief passage,
not only says that 1T Is matter of hon
or, but shows why 1t is such.
Cuba has relinquished, at our in
stance and for our national interest in
the future. part of that independence of
action which would have enabled her to
work out her industrial salvation in her
own way to mortgage herself, for ex
ample, to European power. When she
accepted the conditions laid down in the
Plat amendment she not only proved
her appreciation of, and gratitude for
what the American people had done for
her, but she also established new
claim to our consideration and help.
Our Boston correspondent may not
agree with President Roosevelt and the
Sun and as we believe great majority
of Americans, in the idea that it would
be dishonorable to abandon Cuba to In
dustrial distress after having asked her
to trust us, In a great measure, with the
regulation of her industrial and COM
mercial future. If Mr.. Peabody does not
appreciate without argument the force
of the reason stated by the president,
we know of no rhetoric likely to con-
vince him.