The St. Mary banner., 1903-09-05
date to finally dispose of the rec

date to finally dispose OF the rec
iiprocity treaty with the island of
Cuba, and as soon as this fact
reached President Palma a few
days ago he forwarded his ever
effervescent compliments to the
President and expressed the hope
that the treaty would meet with
no serious obstacle on the part Of
our legislators. President Palma
must at least be given credit for
knowing a good thing when he
sees it, as it is evident thai a reci-
procity treaty with Cuba means
the building up of the sugar in
| dustry or his island to the detri-
ment of the Louisiana producers
and manufacturers. AS much as
our sugar planters were wont to
estimate the good done them by
the party of high protection by
the enactment of the bounty law
some years ago, as much will they
unquestionably discern in this
reciprocity scheme the intention
to undo them by the same party
into whose folds they have since
cast their lot. We could have
gone on and made reciprocity
treaties with France, Germany,
and all other beet-sugar produce
ing countries, and the injury to
our own industry would probably
not have been SO detrimental as
reciprocity with Cuba must prove
from the very beginning. France
and Germany are a good deal
more distant from our market
than is Cuba and their sugars
could not be placed on our mar
kets, the cost of transportation
considered, much cheaper than
our own, although labor condi-
tions in those countries are a
great deal more favorable than
they are here. Besides there are
jealousies existing between Euro
pean powers of which the govern
ment of this country cannot be too
unmindful. England is our great
est customer in the old world and
were we to offer stimulus to the
sugar industries of France and
Germany, countries with which
England is not always on good
terms of amity, the effect might
be to ALLEVIATE not only British
trade, but it may eventually
cause a strain to take iplace in the
general "good relations" existing
between the two countries. Reci-
procity with France or Germany
would not do, unless it also was
done with the British empire or
any other European country, and
there can be no such thing as
reciprocity with free trade |
country like England. But with
Cuba the case is entirely different.
The island is near our markets. |
Reciprocity with it means the i'm
mense development of it's in
digenuous sugar industry and it |
means the corresponding Grip
ping of our own, while it may |
undoubtedly also mean a mate
rial falling off of beet-sugar inn
ports from European countries.
The labor conditions of Cuba are
all that could be desired for the
production of sugar in great guam
titles. Hence, reciprocity will !
also tend to demoralize labor here,
besides bringing ruin to very
many incidental manufacturers
which form an important part of |
the wealth of the State.
The consumer in this country
will hardly be benefited by the
reciprocity scheme, as no time
will be lost by the sugar trust in
fastening its grasp upon the sua ar
output of Cuba, reports having
long since led us to believe that
the industry of the island is al
ready we'll under it's control.
What we find more inexcusable
in this matter is the brazenness
with which a Republican Presi-
dent representing party of high
tariff protection to American in
dustries openly persist in con-
summating this reciprocity in
fanny against the Louisiana sugar
industry. 1t goes to show the in.
sincerity and hypocrisy Of that
party's high protection slogan.
NOTICE.