Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-04-06
AT MINNEAPOLIS.
Strong Speech on the Cuban Reciproc-
ity Treaty, Tariff and Revision.

Minneapolis. Mimi, April 5.-Presi-
lent Roosevelt spoke here, Saturday
night, on the Cuban reciprocity treaty
the tariff and a revision.
The President spoke as follows:
My Fellow Citizens: At the special ses-
sion of the Senate held in March the Gu
ban reciprocity treaty was ratified
When this treaty goes into effect, it will
confer substantial economic benefits alike
upon Cuba, because of the widening OF
her market in the United States, and upor
the United States, because of the equal
viii give to our people at the Cuban mar
ket. This treaty is beneficial to both
parties and justifies itself on several
grounds. In the first place we offer to
Cuba her natural market. We can confer
upon her a benefit which no other nation
can confer; and for the very reason that
We have started her as an independent re-
public and that we are rich, prosperous,
and powerful, it behOoVeS us to stretch
our helping hand to our feebler younger
sister In the next place it widens the
market for our products. both the pro-
ducts of the farm and certain of our
manufactures: and it is therefore in the
interests of our farmers. manufacturers,
merchants, and wage-workers. Finally,
demanded, apart from all other consid-
erations. by the enlightened considera-
ton of our foreign policy More and more
m the future we must occupy -prepon-
the coasts in the region south of us; not
a position of control over the republics
of the south, but of control of the mill
tary situation sc az to avoid any possible
complications in the future. Under the
Platt amendment Cuba agreed to give us
certain naval stations on her coast The
Navy Department decided that we needed
but two. ana we have specified where
these two are to be. President Palma
has concluded an agreement giving them
to us-an agreement which the Cuban leg
islatiye body will doubtless soon ratify
In other words the Republic of Cuba has
assumed special relation to our inter-
national political system, under which, she
gives us outposts of defense, and we are
morally bound to extend to her in a
degree the benefit of our own economic
system. From every standpoint OF wise
and enlightened home and foreign policy
marked a step of substantial progress in
the growth of our Nation toward great
ness at home and abroad.
Equally important was the action on
the tariff products of the Philippines.
We gave them reduction of twenty-five
per cent, and would have given them Il
reduction of twenty-five per cent. more
had it not been for the opposition, in the
hurried closing days of the last session,
of certain gentlemen who, by the way,
have been representing themselves both
as peculiarly solicitous for the interests
of the Philippine people and as special
ties. There is distinctly humorous side
to the fact that the reduction of duties
which would benefit Cuba and the Phil
ippines as well as ourselves was antag
onized chiefly. by those who IN theory
the advanced guardians of the oppressed
nationaIities in the islands affected and
the ardent advocates of the reduction Of
duties generally, but who instantly took
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