Speech #570044065

I confess it is hardly a satisfactory answer which gentlemen give to that proposition. to say to us. grandly that we will face that crisis when we reach it. It is a simple question: What will the beetsugar industry do if Cuba is annexed? It will not meet the point to say that they will then have to produce sugar under a protected market and with severe antiimmigration and anticontractlabor laws. because the provisions of this bill will put upon Cuba. if she shall assent to them. our own contractlabor laws and will put her under our protected markets. so that practically all her supplies bought from other nations will be purchased in this market. If our beetsugar industry can not hold its own with Cuba with a specific duty equal to 67.5 of the cost of Cuban production. what will happen when Cuban sugar has absolutely free access to our market? The great threat to the sugar industry of this country does not come from this bill. but it will come from a failure to pass the bill.