The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-26
The Delayed Treaty.

Inc situation in the senate is certainly
not very encouraging to the public who
desire the ratif1catio Of the Cuban treaty
before the time limit Gan. 31) expires
The peculiar way of doing business in the
senate, by which debate of the most aim
less and puerle character may be indeh-
| nitely, prolonged, is fatty: against the
prompt transaction of necessary public
| business. If senator Of rational parlia-
mentary views calls for cloture rule, he
| Is treated as a traitor to the time honored
principle of senatorial courtesy"
Senator Quay has led the movement tc
obstruct needed legislation and proposes
| If he can, to keep his statehood measure
in the way indefinitely. This means keep
ing the Cuban treaty in waiting. It means
| that although the house may act on the
antitrust measure, it will get to the SEN
ate and be discussed until the closing days
of the fifty congress and accumu-
lation; Of regular business may crowd II
| out Of consideration. The Cuban treaty.
! even If it is weakened by the peculial
amendment in the interest of the beet
TcCd
ago, is a piece Of essential legislation OF
national Importance. Notice that, in the
matter Of preferences, If Cuba gives con.
cessions to any foreign government on i'm:
portations, her government Is bound tc
| keep our preferential 20 per cent more
This will insure to the American cotton
goods trade, ultimately, the whole of the
| IS, 000,00 trade of that kind which Cuba
demands. The concessions in the treaty
! on general merchandise give us advan-
| tages which foreign exporters cannot
overcome. Only with respect to sugar /.
the tariff less LIBERAL The amendment
by the senate committee on foreign affairs
to the effect that there can be no fur
Their reduction Of the duty on Cuban sugar
during the five years. term of the treaty
than, 20 per cent of the present rates, and
no conventional shading of the Dingley
rates to any other outside county on the
same commodity, will tie the hands Of the
government If it becomes advisable to
utilize the sugar schedules to secure recip-
rocal concessions abroad ~" Z. w:.s s.
The terms Of the preferential clauses OF
the treaty have naturally disturbed Eu-
cry that such concessions as we propose
making to Cuba violate the most favored
nation" clauses of our treaties. It is
strange how oblivious Europe seems to be
on this subject, which has been explained
times without number. The question has
been definitely decided in the diplomatic
correspondence of the United States
touching the Venezuelan coffee case, the
German salt and sugar case and others,
where the principle is established that
the most favored nation clause, designed
to secure equality of treatment, implies
that those who demand concessions from
us like those granted to one nation must
grant like concessions to us. From the
beginning of our government the clause has
been construed as permitting commercial
concessions in return for equivalent con-
cessions to which no other country is en-
tiled unless it renders the like equivalent.
The British protest is vigorous, for Cuba
buys most of her cotton goods in England,
and Germany makes a wry face at us be-
cause she not only has to buy nearly all
the raw cotton she uses in the manufac-
t,lre Of the cotton goods she exports from
the United States, but she sells consid-
cradle quantity of such goods to Cuba.
The rejection of the Cuban treaty will be
pleasing to England and Germany, Ger
tainly. If the senate is anxious to dis
criminate against United States trade and
in favor of England and Germany, it will
neglect or. refuse to ratify the Cuban
treaty. 1t has its choice of the two rec
'ords. Which will it adopt? ....s ,g a.