The daily morning journal and courier., 1907-05-31

of the conduct of our nation with respect to Cuba. Porto Rico, and the Philippines, covering now nearly a decade, ought to fill every American with pride" Later on he referred to President McKinley's. attitude in these words: Tn 1898, 1t is hardly necessary for me to. recall, thes resistance that President Mckinley offered to the pop ular movement that carried him slowly but surely to the point of an open con- tiict. with Spain. That which the oppression of the Cuban people, the misgovernment of that beautiful isl- and, and all continued failure of Spain to restore any kind of order-- all compelled the United States to in- terfere to prevent a continuance of that which seemed to our people to be an international scandal at the doors of this country; and as we went into it, in order that we might free our selves from the charge of land-grab- ping or spirit of conquest, we made the declaration that we would not retain Cuba, but would make her an inde- pendent republic as soon as circum- stances would permit. The wisdom of this self-denying declaration has of- ten been questioned, and I am not prepared myself to say that it was the wiser course to pursue. So far as our country was concerned, it was. But recent events give rise to a doubt whether in our anxiety to make clear our own tnselfish motive, we may not have committed ourselves to a policy not best adapted to the welfare of the Cubans. However that may be, it is certain that when 1t was adopted, 1t was adopted in what was thought to be the best. interests of Cuba, and what was known to be In accordance with the unselash desire of the Ameri- can people to help their oppressed neighbors.
 Tn accordance with this recom- mendation (President RooseveIts mes sagel treaty was made between the United States and the Republic of Cuba, whereby provision was made that products of Cuba coming into the United States should receive the bene- fit of reductions in the tariff ranging from 20 to 40 per cent. of the regular duties on such products, Under the beneficent influence of this favorable discrimination in tariff rates, the pros- perity of Cuba increased so that this year, in spite of an insurrection, to which 1 shall hereafter refer she will export 100000 tons of sugar, the larg- i, est in her history. and as large a to- bacco crop in matter of value as she ever has produced. It should be said, however. that the drouth of this year has interfered with sugar planting for future crops and that it has much in- jured the food crops. The actual loss in revenue to the United States from the reduction of tariff rates by the treaty is certainly not less than S15,- GOO, ,000 a year.
 The republic had not compiled with its constitution in several important lrespects-it had not made provision for an independent Judiciary; it had not provided autonomy in it's municipali- ties, and it had not provided an cleo ten law which would secure, as re- quired by the constitution. minority representation. A commission under the provisional government is now drafting an election law including a law for an electoral census, a law making the judiciary independent. a j civil service law; and a law establish ing autonomy in municipalities. It is