Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-19
WILL HISTORY NOT REPEAT lrsELF7
New York Tribune.1

When the Mckinley bill was under
discussion In congress in 1890 1t was. as
will be remembered, proposed to acnllt
the sugar of the world into the United
States without the payment or any
duty whatsoever without taking into
account any reciprocal advantages that
might be gained thereby. There We're
upon the ways and means committee
OF the house at that time Messrs. Nc
Kinley, of Ohio; Burrows of Michigan:
Bayne, of Pennsylvania; Dingley, OF
Maine; Mckenna. of California; La
Toilette, of Wisconsin; Gear. of Iowa.
and Payne. of New York. They We're
determined to place sugar on the free
list in spite of all protests to the con-
trary.
When Mr.. Blaine could secure no ia
vorable consideration for his plan from
the house committee he went before
the appropriations committee of the
senate, and with an earnestness. and
amid an eXcitment that has become
historic. insisted that in return for
tree sugar we should insure the free
entry of s60,000,000 or S70,000000 worth
of our products into sugar producing
countries; that to fiean free wheat,
corn, meat and manufactures in sugar
producing countries" While he could
not move the ways and means commit
tee, the senate listened to him and in
sisted upon the Aldrich amendment. by
which the president was authorized to
withhold the tariff provisions provid-
ing for free sugar from those countries
which would not grant reciprocal con-
oessions to the United States. This
amendment was accepted by the house.
and MI. Blaine's triumph was COM
plete. The Aldrich amendment gave
rise to treaty between the United
States and Spain. relative to Porto
Rico and Cuba. which continued in force
from July, 1891, to August, 1894, when
the Wilson bill was passed, which alb
rogated all reciprocity arrangements
made under the former tariff. The
treaty. however, while it continued in
force stimulated in a marked degree
American exports to Cuba. and our
trade with that island had never been
so great, and has never reached such
volume since the repeal of the McIiin-
ley BILL The fact was demonstrated,
were any demonstration necessary,
that the wellbeing of Cuba, even when
Il Spanish possession, depended upon
the economic goodwill of the United
States. The destiny of Cuba under any
possible political condition or alliance,
whether the island be an Independent
republic. a European dependency or
territory of the United States, must be
determined in Washington. This is
condition of no mans creation. but de-
ponds upon the fact that the United
States market is the only one In the
world that can absorb Cuba's crops.
Cuba has at present representatives
before the ways and means committee
urging the Blaine policy with respect
to trade relations between the two
countries-a policy that proved Inn
mensely advantageous to the United
States while in force-and they would
be content with the half of what Blaine
forced from the reluctant hands of the
ways and means committee in 1890. 1t
may be that history will repeat itself.
When the committee would not listen
to the secretary of state he appealed to
the senate, and his reciprocity program
was Incorporated into the Mckinley
law. 1t is more than likely that the
senate will heed Cuba's plea, for the
islands position is tenfold stronger to-
day than it was in 1890, when a Span
ish possession. The avowed policy of
the administration with regard to Cuba
is in thorough accord with the noblest
traditions of the republican party, APP
proved by experience and fortified by
the plainest dictates of duty. 1t is not
a work of charity that the government
is urged to perform. On the contrary.
it is only asked to take step in the
direction of that greater America and
those wider markets which have be-
come the natural and confident re-
uuirement of the American mind.