, 1879-06-18

Mexico" which jusaiilos by the statistics 1t
presents tho position which Ting TnInuNE
Inns taken Of late years III regard to the woak-
ness shown by tho American Government In
submitting to tho injustice and dacrimina.
tion practiccd by Spnin against American i,-
forests. It In difficult to road IN account Of
The outrnges committed upon American ship
ping FROM time to timo undor the sanction
Of Spanish authorities in Cuba, in addition
to tic uniform discrimination Of tho Spanish
tariG, without feeling tlat Immediate and
summary mcasuref should bo adopted to
secure bettor respect for Tho American 1ag
and fairor treatmout OF American trado-fn-
tercsts.
In d commercial way IL is q pa1pab1o in-
justice that tho richeBt Of the WeRt-India
Islands, lying directly in tho course Of the
coasting trado between New York and tho
American Gulf ports, should bo cut oil from
American trado rs completely a. il 1t wero
1ocated in tho Mediterranean Son. The
Island OF Cuba ia 700 miles long by 30 miles
wide; J; 1t is six times as large as Tho stata Of
massachusetts, 1t has resources which would
sustnfn population Of 12,oo0,o0o pooplo,
but las an actual population Of not moro
thnn 1000. 900 because Of tho policy which
Spain, as tho dominant Government, pnrsuos
toward 1t; It's uoarost neiehbor md best ous-
TONER is tho United Stntas, aud got Spanish
laws prevent tho Cuban people from buy.
ing from this country tho commodities
which they must import md which
they could procure at lower prices from
America than elsewhere. We bny from Ouba
$40. 100000 worth Of sugar alone every
yoar; Cuba and Porto Rico oonBumo $lo,-
100000 worth Of flour annually, but pur-
chase less than Saoo,0oo worth Of TINT
flour from the United States, though wheat
is not raised on the is1ands. The unequnl
condition Of things, injurious alike to tho
people Of cnha aud tho people OF the Urited
Stntes, il owing 10 the Spanish tariff, which
is practically prohibitory as far as this coun-
try is concerned. Average American -four,
Northwest, can bo delivered at Havnna for
about so q barrel, and thore it oncoun!qrs
an import duty Of $8.1o barrel, OF actually
mors than tile prico Of the flour with freight
added. 1t is not surprising, under these
conditions, that moro -four is shipped every
wook from Minneapolis than Ia exported from
tho United slales to Cuba during an ontire
year. There il the aamo sort Of discrimination
aga!nss American provisions Of ali kinds,
agaiust cotton goods, boots aud shoes, wood
on-ware, cutlery, and The entire class Of
household and living commodities which
Anlorica can furnish Cuba at lower 1asos
than can ba obtained from other countries.
In the single item OF cotton gootls, Groat
Britain ships to Cuba md Porto Rico sirty
TINES al much rs those islauds import from
the United States
This Spanish discrimination against An, or
icsn products Is brought about by duties
1oyied upon nrtic1oR imported into Cuba
from foreign ports in foreign vossols- !"
The purpose Ia accomplished In this way
just aa effectively rs II tho law expressly put
American goods under the ban, because tho
| geographical locnsion Of tho United statos ia
/ such that VIC ca,i supply Cuba moro cLoaply
under system Of commercial Freedom than
any other country, bnt also such that It Is
irapract'cablo to SLIP first to Spanish
| ports In order to oyatlo tho excessive
.lutioa. This syatem Of discrimination
LAS always been rzaesiced by Spain
against tho United States. Alr. AapnEwa
tells us that WAal1suToN complained OF It
In communication to Congress aa long ogo
as l702 l!s words wero that "rhe Spanish
duty Oh flour Affects III very much aud otlsor
nationa very littlo. =" showing that tho aystam
Mt that time was tho same M now. Ever
sinco then American diplomats aud con,nlor.
clat agents Aayo had ocuasion to protest
against tho iujusticc, but in win. In adli-
ton to this rcgnlar md ayowod disorimina-
tion, American vosscla are required TO pay
heavier Tonnage dutiea than aro paid by
ships carrying tho lags oil o.Aor countries.
American vessols in Cuban ports not moro.
| ly pay from forty to fifty times az much rs
Spanish vessels in United States ports, but
tho Spanish ot1icora III Cuba ars in tLo habit
Of computing tho tonnage Of American yos.
sells iu such fashion a. to mako them pay
about 81 per cent moro thaa Euglal,
and German slipa Of tho same stze.
An iutolerabfo system Of hnos for
technical estors IN saanltssts Ia also en-.
ployed to impose upon American
ships outrageous penalties. Finally, Anorl'
can vossela arc seized upou tho sllghtast CT.
cuse, and sometimes without any o1cuge
whatever, aud subjected to delays aud costa
which are justified on tho ground Of stand
Ing menace to Cuba. though the diplomatic
relations botwson Spain mud the United
Btatos for the last century raycal a coasIlera.
sion md forbearance ou the part OF tlas
American Government which such powert
rs England aud Germany would not hav.
shown undor similarly o1aspcratiug conli
tiona.
The Atlantic writer considers tho pas
negotiations for tho purchase Of Cuba, th.
desirability OF its annexation and tho obtec
tions thereto, the probable cost Of acquisi
ton by war, and tho possibilities Of diplo
matic correction of existing evils, and come
! to tho following concluslons,. ~ That i,