The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-18
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 10, 1903.
THE DEMOCRATIC ATTITUDE.

The Democrats at Washington are
obviously getting together for harmo-
NOUS action and the support of such
policies as may be agreed upon by the
majority. There is still room for i'm
provement, however, as the difficulty
of reaching an agreement on the Pan
ANA canal question indicates.
The attitude of the party on the Gu
ban reciprocity treaty is highly to be
commended. Democrats opposed the
adoption of a special-rule making the
treaty effective, on the ground that it
was too drastic and also would shut
out the amendments necessary to make
the bill acceptable to the minority.
Measures should be taken, of course, to
prevent the unrestricted freedom Of de-
bate from being carried to the limits of
an abuse; but this does not require the
suppression of full and free debate of
any matter so vital to our interests
as the reciprocity agreement with
Cuba. To declare that this shall be
signed, sealed and delivered or else
repudiated after three days considera-
ton is hasty and thoughtless action,
unworthy of the Importance of the sub
ject or the position of our government.
The Democrats are wholly right in
opposing unanimously the iniquitous
bill supported by the Republicans of
the house. This is not limited to max
ing the Cuban treaty effective, but it
contains two indefensible provisions;
one forbidding any further reduction
on Cuban sugar for the space of five
years, and the other forbidding any re-
auctions on sugar imported from other
countries while this treaty is in force
In other words, the sugar trust has
made a bargain by which it consents
to allow it's hirelings in congress to
grant Cuba trifiing reduction Of 20
per cent of the high Dingley rates on
condition that the people of the United
States are enjoined against making any
other reductions or securing cheaper
sugar from any other sources. The
proposition is farcical, since by no
possibility can one congress thus bind
the hands and limit the action of it's
successors. None the less is the prin-
ciple involved so evil and so inadmis-
sible that formal opposition to it be-
comes a duty of the patriot, as well as
of the partisan.
We regret that an equal unaninity
of opinion does not seem practicable in
relation to the Panama canal question.
The Southern states are vitality inter
ested in the construction of the canal,
and they also contribute so large a
portion of the total Democratic
strength in the senate that their views
are bound to have great weight These
senators are anxious above all things
to get the canal. We fear that some of
them permit that anxiety to deaden the
keenness of their vision with refer
ence to the moral issues involved.
One faction thinks that emphasis
should be laid upon the Spooner act,
and that the president should be in
structed to carry out its provisions lit
orally, which would require the open
ing of negotiations with Nicaragua
and Costa Rica. Another faction. be-
1feving that the canal would be more
quickly built by negotiating with the
alleged state of Panama, is willing to
forget that it was born in sin and con-
ceived in iniquity and would go ahead
along that line.
We think it is a paramount duty of
Democrats to get together on this