Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1884-12-27
TREATY WITH SPAIN.
AN ARGUMENT IN IT'S FAVOR.
Secretary Frelinghuysen Comes to IFS
Defense in a Letter and Discusses
its Probable Benefits.

WasHIsGr0s, Dec. 26.-Secretary Freling-
huyssn, in letter written to-day TO John +.
Miller, Chairman of the Senate Committee
on Foreign Relations, respecting the Span
ish treaty, says: "fhe convention now be-
fore you. in political aspects, is of import
1nee. Some have thought there is a dispo-
sition in the United States looking to the
annexation of Cuba. Such action would be
unwise. for reasons which are apparent to
your committee, for, even if it could be ac-
eomplished by general consent, our institu-
tions would be endangered with this begin
ming of a colonial system, or by the incor-
poration into our body polite of
large population not IN en-
tire sympathy with our governmental
aims and methods The treaty relieves the
causes of complaint a 10 the treatment OF
our citizens and property IN Cuba and Porto
Rico which has heretofore led TO serious dis
cussiOn between the two governments, by
bringing the islands into close commercial
connection with the United States and con-
fers upon Us and upon them all the benefits
which would result from annexation were
that possible. The convention with Spain Is
one of series of international engage
ments. Following the reciprocity treaty
with Mexico IL opens up the markets
of Cuba aud Porto Rico to our pro-
ducts. The treaty with Santo Domingo
opens those OF that republic, and pending
negotiations with the Central American
States and with Columbia tend to the same
object. Ia conjunction with these IL the
treaty with Nicaragua. The construction OF
an inter-Oceanlc canal, while bringing the
most distant parts of our country into closer
relations, opens the markets OF the west
coast of South America To our trade, gives us
NJ az nat sthE n
siarge portion of those articles which we pro-
duce IN return for products which We cannot
probably raise"
The secretary then refers to objections
made to the Spanish convention as follows:
1T Is said we thereby give up the revenue on
sugar, from twenty five To thirty mil
lions. in return for a reduction of duties
upon our products imported into Cuba and
Porto Rico, estimated on basis of exist
ing traffic at from three TO five millions.
The REIMBURSEMENT of revenue, when for the
public good, Is IN the line of our national
policy hitherto. It was done in the care of
tea and coffe which by the act of May l,
lo1z, were placed upon the free list w.tnOut
any att mpt To obtain tn srefor any equiv
olent whatever, solely III obedience TO
popular demand for free breakfast
table, BY this measure, the treasury of
the United States lost during the last twelve
years, revenue OF some one hundred and
forty-four millions on coffee alone; besides,
les Us not forget that Brazil availed itself OF
the action of this government to impose an
export tax upon coffee, which deprived the
people of this country of the benefit OF our
tariff duction.
Ar.ic,e V. of this convention prevents simi
lar action by the Spanish. 1he treaty now
under consideration tends TO cheaper the
[ cost of the necessarles of life by a reduction
Of the cost of staple of daily consumption,
of which We are obliged to import each year
nearly $l00,OO0,OcO IN value TO make up for
an inadequate production of our own soil,
which amounts to only about II per centum
of the whCls consumption. AT the same
time we secure a growing market for our
products IN the Spanish Antilles, coupled
with especial privileges to our merchant
marine. Ii is also said that the importation
of free sugar from Cuba and Porto
production and TO the importation
from the Sandwich Islands will fall short of
the quantity needed for home consumption
and the price will be ruled by that OF the
part remaining liable to duty. so that the
profits from the removal OF the duty Will go
to the Cuban and Porto Rico planter and
not TO consumers IN this country. If the
argument be true, the treaty Will not effect
the price of sugar IN Louisiana. The price
of a commodity Is lessoned by the supply
being greater than the demand, but, 1t Is
frank To say, other conventions have been
negotiated, or are III pfoCoSo Ot HtNOtihtiOu'
which will provide for adequate importation
from sugar regions. Again the privileged
introduction of tobacco at reduced
duties has been objected to as reduc-
ing the revenue by removing protection
from the American producer and manufact-
urer. As TO this. it seems enough to say that
the convention leaves the discrimination
against the imported article of from four &c
five times the internal revenue duties on the
American product and secures markell
hitherto denied for the special manufacture
of tobacco IN which we excel, and which
command profitable market wherein inn
portation IL remitted
The claim that the Mexican treaty is IN
constitutional. because it affects revenue
and did not originate IN the House OF Repre-
sentatives, Is singularly untenable. It die
so originate; first action of this government
towards its negotiation was an appropriation
by Congress for the expenses OF commits
a'~n - negotiate a commercial treaty witt
Mexico