Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-09-18
OUR WINE INTERESTS MENAcEO.
A French Intrigue to Kill American Wine
and Brandy Making.

We are indebted to Mr.. J. de
Barth Shorb for the following sug-
gestive note sounding the alarm for
a rally in favor of our wine and
brandy interests:
SAN MARINo. Sept. 16. 1878.
EDITOR HERALD: | herewith en-
close a circular letter from Mr..
Arpad Haraszthy which fully and
entirely explains itself. Knowing
that you always stand ready co use
your able pen and throw open the
columns of your valuable paper to
the advancement and defense of
all the great leading interests of
you will now express your earnest
protest against the ratification of
the treaty with the French govern
ment which would work such dis
astrous results to our grape inter-
est. Because the Chamber of Com
merce of San Francisco forgetful,
Indifferent or, as it rather seems,
recreant to Its high trusts, ignores
and, as far as IL can, Injuries an in-
terest In which Is invested nearly
| 1876, 900, 900 and which is SO preg-
nant Of wonderful results to this
| State, it is no reason why other
communities should remain supine
or endorse tlfe action of the afore-
said Chamber by remaining silent.
The French government has given
many evidences of great com.
mercial sense and enterprise, and
suggests, in forcible mahner, as
the secret of their great wealth, the
fostering care bestowed on all
great leading productive interests
by the clever treaties she has sue.
cessfully carried through with
other governments in furtherance
of that object. The late treaty
with Great Britain, while of i'm
mense Importance to the French
nation, has inflicted incalcuIable
harm to the first named country;
aud should the treaty with our
own government be ratified as now
drawn or suggested our wine inter-
ests are simply and possibly forever
killed. Had our own government
the same wisdom as the French
nation, by emulating her example,
1t would have stretched forth u
strong arm to aid Us, instead of in
juring us by bad laws, and our wine
interest to-day would have repre-
sented at least one hundred millions
OF money In this State and been the
pride of America. earnestly trust
that some concert of action may be
brought about by means of mass
tnA al nd Ia a., -
people may be forcibly brought
out and conveyed to the Federal
Congress through our representa-
tives; aud that the Chamber of
Commerce Of San Francisco may
withdraw what seems to have been
most III advised action on Its part,
and may join us in expressing a
protest against that which 1t has
now recommended. For the credit
of that body, many of the mem
bers of which are personally and
fuvorabIy known to me. l trust Mr..
Haraszthy has not been correctly
Informed as to its action.
Yours very truly,
]. DE BARrH SHORE.
The following Is the circular to
which Mr.. Shorb refers:
San FRANCISCO, Sepr. 10, 1873.
To the Vine- Gr0Wers of California:
GENTLEMEN: l feel it my duty
to call your attention to the urgent
necessity of looking we'll into the
treaty that IL now being proposed |
to enter into between the United |
States and France. Either there |
must be a great apathy amongst |
the vine-grOwers of our State, or |
they must be unaware of the utter |
ruin that msnaces their Interests,
should that treaty be ratified by |
our government. 20 make YOU
understand the full extent Of your
danger, it Is only necessary to |
mention that in this treaty it is
proposed to reduce the duty on all
French wines in casks to 20 cents
per gallon, on wines in bottles to
so cents per dozen, and on bran
dies aud spirits to ST. per gallon!
Need say more?
You have labored hard and de-
votedly, some of you ten or twenty
years, to bring your vineyards and
wines to the point of perfection to |
which they have arrived. All |
these years you have struggled |
against blind aud unjust preju-
dice-against time, usurious rates
Of interest, low prices, a slow ap-
probation of your efjrts by men |
of wealth aud q still slower one by |
our government. 1t Is not enough |
to have your vineyards decimated |
by the ravages of that terrible |
scourge, the phylloxera, but now
1t Ia proposed to sweep away at
one scoop the entire results of your
hard labor and long struggles. And
this Is to be done without either
consulting you or your interests,
by single stroke Of the pen, by |
the ratification of a treaty devised |
by cunning minds and made plaus-
ible by the artful tongues of your
foreign competitors? Aud will you |
stand idly by and see it done?
! am informed that after M. Leon
Chotteau, Delegate from the COM
mercial bodies of France, submitted
his views upon this treaty 10 the
San Francisco Chamber Of Com.
merce, that that body gave him its
endorsement!
Do you not see your danger?
This endorsement Is to be used
against you. And SO Ia that of
every Chamber Of Commerce In
the United States, which may have
been either selfish enough to give
its endorsement for its own adj
vancsment, or blind enough not to
see the utter humiliation of one of
the greatest future interests of our
country.
You have no time to sparej the
Senators and Congressman OF the
Pacific Coast, who have always
been your truest friends, are yet
amongst you; but their stay will
not be long, aud it behoOves you to