The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-03
NOT
UNRESTRICTED
The Cuban Treaty Will Not Find Its
Way One of Roses in Con-
gress This Winter.
A Sentiment That All Reciprocity
Should Be Side-tracked at
Present. --
Only Financial or Industrial De.
preston Likely to Bring Tar
if Changes to Head.

FROM ina s! bureau' Room TO- fost oulio'
1W1Sa,s%hhinasSs>(,A Ex-senator Burrows
now says the I" = will be guided by the
action of the beet sugar manufacturers
convention, Jan. ( IN this C..y, in max
ing up his mind whether to favor op-
pose the reciprocity treaty with Cuba.
He pretends not to know what the con-
vention will decide to do. but other peo-
pie in Washington are not slow to as
sumo that the convention will adopt
strong resolutions denunciatory of the
treaty and call upon all friends of beet
sugar to oppose It, ~
1t is practically impossible for any
body in Washington at present to fore
cast the action of the senate on the
bers are in the city, and they refuse TO
talk. Apparently they are waiting for
the reassembiing Of congress.
At present the treaty does not seem to
have free and unobstructed pathway,
but that does not necessarily mean that
1t will be defeated. For instance, rati-
fication would be quite easy If the demo-
cratic senators, excepting those from
Louisiana, who, Of course, would not be-
come parties to such a plan, were to sup
port it solidly, for political effect. Enough
republicans would be found to give the
necessary thirds majority without
diff, ulty.
All Reciprocity Opposed.
1t is unfortunate for the Cuban treaty
that it does not stand on its own merits,
Independently Of other treaties and the
reciprocity principle as whole. Could
it SO stand, ratification would be simple.
While Cuba, strictly speaking, stands in
a class by ITSELF so far as reciprocity
is concerned, and might, therefore, logi-
cally be considered apart from other
countries, it is becoming apparent that
sentiment is being worked up in the
senate to place all reciprocity measures
together In common lump and then OPP
pose them together. Even Newfoundland
has been put into this class, and nothing
is more certain than that the Eay-Bond
convention will have q rough and rugged
road to travel before it reaches the goal
! Of safety. =
Speaking broadly, the men in the two
houses Of congress who oppose any re-
vision Of the tariff, oppose the reciprocity
treaties, on the ground that every such
treaty is a. modification of existing tariff
schedules. They say "let well enough
alone" and their numher and INFLUENCE
g-e Of enough significance, to occasion
genuine alarm. H They are not going to
other treaties to go through II they can
prevent it, and they are not mincing their
words about their position. AS already
said, some Of these senators, however,
! place Cuba in a class by herself, and
pretend that they want the Cuban treaty
ratified, but whether they are sincere or
not cannot yet be determined.
"Let We'll Enough Alone ...-..
! One of the prominent western senators,
a man well known in Minnesota, said to-
day: "Our part Of the country is in IA
vor Of reciprocity and Of tariff revision.
The eastern states are opposed to both.
1t strikes me that, nothing will be done
with either so long as the present era of
good times continues. Just that long the
cry of let we'll enough alone will domi-
nate the situation; but at the first indica-
ton Of industrial and financial depres-
sion, you will find the tariff coming to
the front as a real issue. We will get re-
vision then, of almost any character we
may desire, but hardly earlier
! This senator, although favoring<: reci-
procity in general. and prepared to do
all that he can for both the Cuban and
Newfoundland conventions, is rather
| doubtful about success. He: thinks Cuba
has better chance than Newfoundland
means ratification, for he fully under
stands the forces at work against it, and
knows their strength and determination.
/ "a Waste OF Time"
Il Another western senator, also well
known in Minnesota, tells me that In
his judgment it is a waste Of time and
}. energy to talk reciprocity at this time
except possibly as to Cuba. and he is not
y certain about Cuba.
:, He points out that reciprocity would ac-
complish by indirection what revision
} would accomplish directly. Therefore, II
will always be easier, so long as sentt-
ment in the two houses remains un'
} changed, to reduce the tariff by a straight
out reduction bill than by reciprocity
} treaties" A bill would pass by a majority
vote in each house; treaty requires {
two-thirds majority. A bill would be- cal
ried along by the momentum it would
acquire; many Objectionable schedule:
might be contained in 1t, but those II
opposition would be compelled to accep
them. A treaty has no such NONE ntum
and can be stopped at any time by the
opposition Of a single influential senator
This senator, consequently, thinks tina
reciprocity must be accomplished, If a.
all, through tariff revision, which would
not be reciprocity at all, but would pu
every nation on an equal footing will
every other nation in the American mar
ket.' ss.. ..,+".s... zc,2-.-- -
t Win Reciprocity Be Abandoned.
7 To sum up, it begins to appear tina
, reciprocity is one of the easiest problem
, of the day, so far as the stump and tn
: popular magazine writer are concerned
but by all odds the most difficult when 1
comes to bringing congress to act, an,
5 careful thinkers are beginning to believ
p. that the day is at hand when it must b.
1 permanently abandoned as an American
policy. The special interests Of the coun
try are so numerous and important as t
put an effective bar on ratification.
On the other hand, many members @
both houses still cling to the belief tina
something can be done.
= 1t will not be long before events wi
: have determined which position is cor
y rect. ., 4.s9.-s.5:
:, w. w. Jermane.