Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1884-12-18
SPANISH AMERICAN TREATY.

~
The text of the proposed treaty be-
tween the United States and the Spanish
West Indian islands was obtained by
the New York Times by c%ablegram from
Madrid at a cost, it is said, of $1,000.
Still the document is commented on as
faulty, ambiguous and, in places, incon-
sistent with itself. The New York Sun
calls upon the United States Senate to
issue a correct copy in order that the
people may read it and know accurately
how the several industries that it treats
of are to be affected. The general pur-
pose of the treaty, on the part OF Spain
is to get a larger market in the United
States for the produce of her waning
islands, chiefly tobacco, cigars and
sugar; while the advantage proposed for
our government in return is the acquisi-
ton Of wider commerce with those
islands, which, at present, is almost
monopolized by Great Britain. 1t is a
give.and-take propositions swap on a
grand commercial scale. 1t is an affair
of almost, if not entirely, universal in.
terest to each nation concerned. The
United States has been crippled as re-
CARDS its foreign commerce; in fact it may
be said to have none left. The cause OF
this is ascribed by many of our leading
and non partisan economists to our rigid
and exclusive system Of protection since
1867. These hold that to reestablish
our commerce al relations with the outer
world, the ~stringency of our tariff laws
must be relaxed to a greater or less ex-
tent. The two great parties in the
United States, the Democratic and the
Republican, though set wide apart on
this issue by the partisan stump spesker,
are much nearer together than the
prejudice Of the masses, who bllndly
follow in the wake of their thunder-mak-
ing political leaders, seems to indicate.
The discussion of the proposed treaty
makes this fact very plain. The COM
munity that opposes it most vigorously
is a State that is as Democratic as any
Northern State is Republican. We re-
fer, of course, to Louisiana, the sugar in
dustry of which is threatened. Also, to
a great extent, the more northerly of the
Southern States oppose it with equal
vehemence because nearly all of the do
mestlc tobacco is produced, and a vast
quantity of it manufactured, by them.
This SPANISH American treaty presents
pretty nearly the reverse of the situation
when the North demanded protection for
her manufactures, in the days OF Webster
and Calhoun, and the South, having
nothing to protect, wanted free trade
with the world. 1t was then argued suc-
cessfully, on high ground that, for
the good Of the whole, any section of the
Commonwealth should be willing to ac-
cept sacrifice. Now comes the South and
says to the North: protect our in
dustries-put up with dear sugar and
"snide' cigars-for the sake of the gen.
eral prosperity to the nation, which will
come about when we have had a chance
to establish ourselves and become self
sustaining" The manufacturers Of the
North, in the meanwhile, can look on
complacently. They demand continued
protection Of these interests, but these
will not be hurt. they will rather be
stimulated, by a renewal of commerce
with the West Indies. Yet the North :
ern manufacturers cannot rest safe OIL
any economic doctrine in conflict with
protection against the cheap labor of the
Old World. Everybody wants good and
cheap sugar and the best and cheapest
tobacco. But how are we to get these
commodities from abroad with due regard
for our own national interests otherwise ?
The thing is a cold, business matter. We
need mer with foreign nations, and
our own resources must be developed by
the work of our own operators, at wages
fair and in accord with the demands of
our civilization. The tariff on foreign
goods, not only on sugar and cigars. but
on everything imported, should be scaled
down &C as to guarantee the protection
needed for the preservation Of u in
dustries, but leaving no margin for mon.
opoly thereby; also. offering the utmost
inducement to the outside world to ex-
tend commercial relations with us. This
we believe, at bedrock, is the actual
idea of both Republicans snd Democrats.
MR. BLAINE's EXPLANATION.