New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-09-26

should awaken the attention of our mer-
chants and mechanics.
We observe a discussion which should
be ofsingular interest to New Orleans and
San Francisco. In consequence of a
scarcity of supplies in the States OF Guer-
zero and Michoacan the government has
suspended the collection of duty on a
given quantity of foreign -four, which is
being supplied from the port of Acapulco.
The tariff on foreign -four is in Mexico, as
in Spain, intended as protection to the
farmers of both countries 1t occurs, how
ever, in Mexico that the production of pro-
vision supplies above the local wants is con-
fined to the higher attitudes of the repub-
lie. Thus the State cf Puebla traversed
by the railroad produces more provisions
than it can consume. Under the theory
of protection this State will derive profit
from the duty on all foreign pro-
visions which come within the scope
of possible supply. There are, howe yer,
many-indeed we might say most States
of the republic which do not produce such
a surplus of meat and bread, and SO are
liable at times to suffer from famine. If,
then, such States can not receive supply
of their necessities from the surplus
States, why should they be left to suffer?
Would it not be better for even the local
int ne Mayia1 = Il J,,%x
should be allowed ON the importation of
provisions into such States as may uffel
from famine, and which can not be sup
piled from the States producing a surplus
of food? This reasoning will apply to
Sonora, and most of the west
coast of Mexico, as far south as
Tehuantepec, to the Rio Grande and
to the whole mining interior of North
Mexico. We doubt whether such bounty
and boon could be granted to the railroad
companies now projecting railroad into
Northern Mexico, or to mining interests
which they seek to relieve, as reduced
duty on -four and hog products.
We have reason to know that the Amer
lean minister intends all his social and
diplomatic influence to be used for the
good of both republics, and that he has
greatly at heart the establishment of SIM
liar relations between the United States
and Mexico as between the United States
and Canada. We have seen evidences of
the desire that such a convention of re-
ciprocal trade shall be adopted between
the two countries as once existed betwee
the United States and Canada.
We trust this enterprise will meet with
success. Steam and social confidence have
done and will do much to promote the in
tercourse between the two republics, but
system of revenue or protection duties
which makes it practical penalty to at
tempt commerce, will always offer an
impeachment very little inferior to fragrant
war or international jealousy in its de-
struction of all intercourse.
We hope much from the efforts of the
Mexican minister, and can not help re-
marking that if the State Department and
the eminent Republican Senators from
the West would devote more interest to
relieving these obstacles, they would
open a new market for our surplus
productions, and tend to direct public
anxiety from financial and industrial en-
barrassments, which have no other mean
ing than unemployed labor, and can have
no other relief than new demand for
our productions.