The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-12-13
PARTIES SPLIT
ON CUBAN ROCK
Depew And Clay are
Touching Elbows
FOSTER FACES THEM
They are for Reciprocity and He is
Against 1t. Foster Declares Reel
procity the Handmade of Spec
iaI Interests. A Warm
Debate.
(By the Associated Press.)


Washington, Dec. 1.-THE Senate spent
more than five hours today in discussing
the Cuban reciprocity bill and during
that time three speeches were made. Mr.
Foster of Louisiana. led the discussion
and occupied the greater part of the
day with an argument in opposition to
the measure. He declared that its passage
would greatly injure, if it did not destroy
the sugar growing industry of the United
States.
Senator Depew, on the Republican side,
and Senator Clay on the Democratic side
supported the bill as a measure in the
interest of both countries. Senator Clay
said that he accepted it as a provision
for the reduction of duties on the part
of both countries.
Mr. Foster declared that. there is no
moral obligation on the part of this gov
eminent to enter into the proposed ar
rangement with Cuba. He said we are
standing at the "open door, of the Far
East, saying we can compete with Eng
land, and other foreign countries if given
equality of rights, while we are entering
hemisphere.
Speaking of the claim from the stand
point of business he contended that even
without the proposed reciprocal arrange
nlent the manufacturers of the United
States could get the Cuban trade if they
would work for it. He also declared that
the reduction of our revenues which
would result from the enactment oe the
proposed law in the five years that the
law was TO continue in force would be
s35 coo, 600 or $4O,00O,O0O. This money
must go either to the Cuban sugar plant
ers or to the sugar trust. In either event
the policy was one con1Sary to our own
best interests.
The speaker pronounced the treaty not
only a political and economic blunder
but declared it falls little short of a
legislative crime. The fundamental error
of the measure, he said. is the taking of
the fruits and vegetables of Florida and
.he Far West, the tobacco and sugar
products of this country and placing them
an competition with the Cuban products
in which the tariff is reduced twenty
per cent. He predicted that the prefer
entail provision Of the treaty will bring
on tariff war with foreign countries,
because anything coming in from foreign
countries will be Disseminated against.
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 CONNER
cialism, if he might term it, he de-
clared, 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 in
dustry of the West means the down put
ting of the sugar trust.
"Cuba is competent within the life of
the treaty. said Mr.. Foster, ito make
all the sugar this country needs. 1t can
make sugar cheaper and with the reduc
ton which is made in this treaty it means
the slow, but sure death of the beet
industry, and the certain death Of the
cane industry in my State.
Mr.. Fairbanks inqui q d the alative cost
of the production of sugar in Cuba, and
of both cane and beet sugar in the
States.
MI. Foster gave the cost of sugar pro-
duction in Cuba at from 1 cent to ~
cents per pound, while. he said the cost
of cane sugar production in Louisiana rs
estimated at cents a pound and of beet
sugar in the West at a slight increase over
this figure.
Mr.. Fairbanks then asked if the sugar
industry OF Cuba would not, in time, in
undate the industry of this country even
without this tariff reduction. Mr.. Foster
replied that probably it would be the re
suit, but that the passage of this bill
would only hasten it.
Mr.. Foster closed his speech with the
declaration that the passage OF this bill
would mean a denial to the sugar States
OF the sisterly consideration due from
other States. and predicted an outbreak
of sectionalism not unlike that which
prevailed in the South in Civil War times
Mr.. Depew in responding to this perior-
alton, declared that Mr.. Fosters conclud-
ing remarks had no rightful place in the
debate on the bill before the Senate. He
said this bill shows no sectlonallsm, nor
revival of the old feeling in the South
and North. and he declared that while
Louisiana is interested, it is no more so
than Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico
Michigan. Nebraska, New York, and
number of ether States. This he said
should end discussion OF the character in
Obliged in by the Senator from Louisiana
The Senator expressed the belief that
before tie five year period provided for
in the treaty elapses, Cuba, instead of
raising nothing but sugar, will have
population raising divers Products He