Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 94, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 July 1903 — POLITICAL COMMENT. [ARTICLE]

POLITICAL COMMENT.

Cuba and Canada Loiiag Interest. In the following comment by the free trade Springfield Republican there la more of fact than ia customary in that newspaper’s discussion of tariff matters: “Cuba Is reported to be losing interest in the*adoption of reciprocity by the United States. It is finding itself able to get along very tolerably without reciprocity. One of the Minnesota Congressmen says the people of that State are becoming more and more concerned about reciprocity with Canada, but Canada’s Interest in' reciprocity, under repeated rebuffs from the United States, has been declining as Interest on this side has been increasing.” It Is undoubtedly true that Cuba is caring less and less about reciprocity. She never really cared very much about it The scheme of tying up Cuba with a bargain that in the long run was sure to be a bad one for her, while it was a viciously unfair and injurious bargain for the sugar and tobacco producers of the United States, originated with Havemeyer’s Sugar Trust. Cuba was not solicitous about the arrangement. Havemeyer was. The Sugar Trust literary bureau was for a time successful in exploiting the idea ttofit a inoral obligation was involved on the part of the United States. Many sincere and conscientious people supported the reciprocity proposition on that ground solely. They recognized its Injustice to a large and important body of domestic producers, but they felt bound to redeem a promise which

they were persuaded to believe had been made at some time by somebody. They seem to have lost sight of the fact that nobody had the shadow of a right to make such a promise or the power to carry It out —that is, nobody but the United States Congress. There Is, we believe, no pretense that Congress ever made such a promise. But the moral obligation plea so shrewdly worked up by the Sugar Trust finally flattened out. For a long time past it has been patent to the dullest comprehension that there is no moral obligation in the case; merely a business deal in which a favored number of American manufacturing and commercial Interests stand to get greatly the best of the arrangement, while the Cuban -people, outside of those Identified with the affairs of the Sugar Trust and the Tobacco and Cigar Trust, are certain to be Injured more hy cutting themselves off from the world’s markets tiian they would be benefited by giving to the United States a monopoly of Cuban trade. This Is a view now very generally held In Cuba. It explains why Cuba Is “losing Interest In the adoption of reciprocity by the United States.” Similarly true Is the Republican’s assertion that “Canada’s interest In reciprocity, under repeated rebuffs from the United States, has been declining as Interest on this side has been increasing.” Canada has found out that the United States, even If It would consent to any sort of reciprocity, certainly would not consent to a reciprocity limited strictly to natural products. Both Canada and the United States are sellers of natural products. Neither is a buyer. Canada would have much to gain by such reciprocity. The farmers, lumbermen and fishermen of the United States Would be the losers. Finding that no such Jughandled swap can be made, Canada has nahfrally lost Interest In reciprocity. NAbody In Canada, possibly excepting the farming, lumber and fishing Interests, favors reciprocity In manufactures. Reciprocity In manufactures would virtually kill every Canadian manufacturing Industry. Reciprocity of this kind, with a preference in favor of Che United States, would not fall to bitterly offend Great Britain, to say nothing of Germany, France and the rest of the world. It la doubtful whether the British government would tolerate an arrangement so unfair and so Injurious to the manufacturing interests of the United King-’ doin. Ou Monday of this week this

very question was under discussion In the House of Lords. The cable report says; "The Marquis of Lansdowne, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, said* the government considered that the time had come when they should endeavor to find some means of ascertaining Whether it was possible to obtain closer fiscal onion with the colonies; to find some means of protecting them if they were subjected to Illtreatment in consequence of the preferential treatment they granted to the mother country, and to discover means of protecting British interests against Inequitable competition.” Closer fiscal union with the colonies; and the vital need of discovering “means of protecting British Interests against Inequitable competition,” such Is and must be British policy. In these circumstances is it to be for a moment supposed that Canada, for the sake of enriching the manufacturers of the United States, will enter into a reciprocity arrangement that will stifle her own industries and at the same time subject British interests to a still more “inequitable competition” than that which is now complained of? Such a proceeding on Canada’s part Is out of the question. That is why Canada is losing interest in the reciprocity game. That is why the. National -Reciprocity League and its Minnesota branch, tint is especially devoted to the Canadian part of the project, are wasting their time. All the facts and conditions are against any general scheme M. reciprocity between Canada and {he UnK-

ed States. There will be reciprocity when Canada becomes an integral part of the United States; not before.—* American Economist. More than Ever Convinced. Senator Scott of West Virginia, who went abroad for the express purpoas of studying the labor problems cf foreign, especially European, countries, has returned to Washington, and saya: "I have always been a strong protectionist, and have returned from my foreign trip more than ever convinced of the good effects of our tariff system. I think there can be no better slogan for the coming campaign than that enunciated by my friend, Senator Hanna, when he said, ‘Hands off.’ If the workingmen of this country could go abroad and get a look at the real conditions as they exist they would see what the tariff has done for them. During my trip I made It a point to get in touch with the workingmen themselves, and learned from them Just the wages they were paid and how they lived. The best paid workingmen I found In England, and even there the comparison between the condition of working people there and that of our own is to our great advantage. In Greece I found capable stone masons and even men who could carve creditable statues working for 25 centa for a day varying from ten to twelve hours.” Farmers Will Have Somethin* to Say, While the Civil War was In progress Artemus Ward announced his willingness to sacrifice all his wife’s relatives If necessary to put down the rebellion. About the same degree of self-abnega-tion Is manifested by the Minneapolis millers and eastern manufacturers In the matter of Canadian reciprocity. They are willing to sacrlflc the Interests of American farmers by removing the 25 cents per bnshel tariff on Canadian wheat. This would enable the millers to get their wheat cheaply by Importing the Canadian product and bringing U Into competition with that grown In this country. At the same time they would be enabled to extend tlie market for thedr flour Into Canada. The manufacturers In the East want reciprocity as a means of geltingjtbelr goods free Into Canadian territory. It Is a beautiful scheme, but the farmers of the United States will probably have something to say about It before It Is put Into effect —Keokuk (Iowa) Gate City.