Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-12
OPPOSES CUBAN BILL
CI4AuEa THAT IT'S ENACTMENT
WOULD BIZ INJURIOUA
Senator Foster Addresses the Senate on
the Question Of Reciprocity
With the Island.

Immediately after the conclusion Of the
routine morning business today the Senate
resumed the discussion of the Cuban reel
procity BILL with Mr.. Foster Gouisiana)
as the speaker. He opposed the bill on the
ground that its enactment into law would
prove injurious to the sugar-producing and
other important interests of the United
States
After speaking Of the sentiment that
had been created In behalf Of Cuba when
the appeal was first made for relief for the
republic and referring to committee hear
ings In the House. the senator spoke OF
the appearance of Mr.. Thurber of New
York. before the ways and means COM
mittee. and declared it was subsequently
developed that he was in the pay Of the
military governor of Cuba.
Mr.. Foster, declared that there is no
moral obligation on the part Of this govern
ment to enter into the proposed arrange
at the open door, of the far east, saying
we can compete with England and other
foreign countries If given equality Of rights,
while we are entering into contrary ar
rangement in our own hemisphere.
Speaking of the claim from the stand
point Of business. he contended that even
without the proposed reciprocal arrange
ment the manufacturers of the United
would work for 1t. This they should be
willing to do instead of asking the sacrifice
OF other American agricultural interests.
He also declared that the reduction of our
revenues which would result from the en-
actment of the proposed law in the five
years that the law was to continue In forca
would be $50. 100000 or $40.OOO.OOO This
money must go either to the Cuban sugar
planters or to the sugar trust. In either
event the policy was one contrary to our
own best interests.
Pronounces It a Blunder.
The speaker pronounced the treaty not
only political and economical blunder,
but declared 1t falls little short of legis-
lative crime. The fundamental error of
the measure. he said, is the taking of the
fruits and vegetables Of Florida and the
far west, the tobacco and the sugar prod
ucts of this country and placing them In
competition with the Cuban products, in
which the tariff is reduced 20 per cent. To
be fair and just. he said, the tariff on
those articles on which the burden of this
treaty are laid should be reduced, for 1t
is not fair to build up the manufacturing
by pulling down the agricultural interests.
He predicted that the preferential provision
of the treaty will bring on a tariff war
with foreign countries, because anything
coming in from foreign countries will be
Disseminated against.
He said we forced Cuba to discriminate
and declared that the treaty with Cuba
violates treaties with foreign powers.
Reciprocity. he said. was called by some
republicans the handmade Of protection
and by some democrats the handmade of
free trade. but in this age of commercial
ism, If he might so term it, he declared
reciprocity to be the handmade Of special
interests.
Senator Foster declared that behind the
treaty are every power and influence of the
sugar trust, giving as his reasons that the
building UP of the. beet sugar industry Of
the west means the down-pulling Of the
sugar trust; that the men In the trust
were able to foresee the result of the pas
sage of the treaty upon the beet industry,
and therefore have given welcome to the
measure In this connection Senator Fos-
ter said the beet Is the natural enemy of
the refining trust, and that the effect of
the Cuban bill would be to injurs this
growing enemy to the trust