The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-14
SATURDAY, NOV. "a, 1908.
THE CUBAN POLICY.

The so-called reciprocity bill that has
been introduced in the house by Mr..
Payne and referred to the ways and
means committee is one that should
be unfinchingly opposed by every
Democrat. We say this in the full be-
lief that reciprocity agreement ought
to be concluded with Cuba; in full
sympathy with President Roosevelt's
declarations on this point; and, further
than that, with a frank avowal of our
belief that merely to oppose Republic
an measures because they are Repub
lican, no matter what their merits or
dement's, is a foolish policy, of which
the Democratic party has already seen
too much.
Our ground of strenuous opposition
is not the reciprocity policy, but the
Infamous provision that is coupled in
this bill with the grant Of a 20 per cent
vided that While said convention is in
force no sugar imported from the re-
public of Cuba and being the product
of the soil or industry of the republic
of Cuba shall be admitted into the
United Staets at a reduction of duty
greater than 20 per +centum of the rates
of duty thereon, as provided by the
tariff act of the United States approved
July "a, 1897, and no sugar the product
Of any other foreign country shall be
admitted by treaty or convention into
the United States while this convention
is in force at a lower rate of duty than
that provided by the tariff act of the
United States approved July "a, 1891"
Nobody but a hide-b bound and pur-
blind protectionist would dream of
COUGHING a reciprocity agreement i'll
such terms or coupling it with such de-
grading and impossible conditions A
reduction of 20 per cent in the duties
imposed by the Dingley act upon sugar
was the most that could be wrung
from the representatives of the beet
sugar trust after the contest that has
now lasted ever since Cuba's independ-
ence was achieved. That miserable
concession, postponed as it has been
from month to month and from year
to year, is now to be allowed only on
condition that congress make a futile
attempt to join with it prohibition of
future tariff changes, however neces-
sary, wise or just.
If this bill as presented by the house
shall be adopted, it will be necessary
TO abrogate the treaty with Cuba be-
fore we could either grant any addi-
tional reduction over and above the 20
per cent of the Dingley rates provided
for, and before We could lower the
Dihgley rates on any sugar imported
from any other part of the world. In
a word, the price which the sugar in
terests demand for justice to Cuba and
the maintenance of our own honor is .
pledge that the sugar tariff shall never
thereafter be reduced. 1t is not proba-
bic that any sterling Democrat will
vote for such a measure as this.
The fact is that the 20 per cent re-
duction offered is already inadequate
The enormous rates imposed by the
Dingley act should have been inf fo '
more than one-fifth in the interest of
Cuba. Moreover, since this agitation
began the agreement reached by the
Brussels convention to discontinue the
payment of bounties to the sugar pro-
ducers of Europe has gone into effect
and cheap sugar is now the order OF
the day. The United States alone of all
the countries in the world compels its