| Show THE PRESIDENT AT MINNEAPOLIS Cuban reciprocity and the tariff question ques-tion were treated of by President Roosevelt I yesterday at Minneapolis lie explained forcibly why he has been so Insistent upon granting tho aid to Cuba that is contained In the treaty which the Senate recently ratified 1L was In hiM opinion a measure of absolute justice jus-tice In consideration or the relations between l be-tween Cuba and the United Stales growing out of Urn war of liberation and the acceptance of the Plait amendment amend-ment And now that ratifications of the treaty have been exchanged he Is sure that the right thing has been done And the American people will be glad that the matter Is settled In that connection while mentioning the Philippines the President paid hits respects sharply to those who have been so solicitous about the welfare of the natives but who refused to grant them the concessions that are right and proper prop-er for the upbuilding of trade with this country and which they have a right to expect The Inconsistency of the course pursued by those persons was properly held up to public scorn The President is firm in the upholding of the doctrine ot protection and of the maintenance of the DIngley schedules sched-ules He concedes that modifications may be found necessary but clearly points out the danger to all of our interests In-terests in making hasty changes it is better to endure for a time what may seem to be a disadvantage rather than to wantonly open up the question and so disarrange industries and prostrate business Even if the contention is made that combinations of industries should be punished by withdrawing protection from their products it must be remembered that there arc compe titors In all lines of their manufactures and what would punish the trusts would kill this competition and give the trusts complete possession of the field with no competitors save foreign manufacturers manu-facturers and to compete with these the combines would have to reduce wages to the European standard So hat ultimately the question Is simplified simpli-fied right back to the original proposition propo-sition that protection Is primarily for the betterment of the wages and of the conditions of the worklngman To him the President paid a high tribute as the force which has put this country in the forefront of the worlds industries and as the conqueror of foreign markets and even higher achievements are to come with wise action by the general Government What we have won has been 1 won under the tariff we are en oying a prosperity not only unparal holed In our own nation but In any nation na-tion It would be the height of unwis dom to disturb the conditions under I which that prosperity has been achieved and maintained It was a loleworthy speech straightforward able strong that it will Impress the American people and tend to guide them In right thinking and action there can be no doubt |
