New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-11-22
A WARNING FROM CUBA.
rur COMMERCIAL TREATY A TRAP.
,,ov,sloxs OF THE CONVENTION CRITICALLY nn.
AHMED ny An AMERICAN RESIDENT IN HE

..o.,v :, aid 70 have been agreed upon betwee" VI.
Waited States aud Spain with respect 10 N"o" ""'
port, Rico. must confess that am 40 me" WIZ"
.urorisc as 20 be almost incapable OF eApios''"~
.ool and res rcctfu opinion of ia aosnra P'o''No
According TO the irrational pro's'ohs Oh WIS 49,
We exchange the free consumption OF o'e' my
,;,,ons of people for the c,nsum ,ton of one ana
nc ,ri,;ons-aud even that /, limited. extremely
=. a. Car "a orr commerce is concegpcd-besides be-
.hardicappe1 by duties while their productions
80. admitted free Did youever hear oil q more an
Cird exchanged
rvon If the ports of this island were open to the
frec introduction of products, our trahe w""iu
not be increased moro than Si,0oo'ooo bu' Ill
lien of this the Spanish Government imposes d
duty whilst we admit her products free. ms j.
recinroc,tv with a vengeance. We arc asked 10
lose about 81 600 600 year In duties, 10 oeS'ioS
the sugar Industries of Louisiana, Tor the p'rv in
crease of four millions III commerce. ihis - III
reality exchanging our horse for u gross OF worth
less green spectaces, without the compensatory
and allurng merit of rims or cases
Granting even n more favorable conditloh Oh
trade than can possibly be obtained, cannot see
why we should consent to destroy our sugar IN
dust ries any more than any other industry: and II
IL is small then the more need of protection. But
apparentIy this is of small Importance IN Madrid.
so long as We can get up trade with Cuoa.
Here all partes-evcn the Spanish officials mo see
in it a continuance OF power for fifty years-iA"s"
at IT, and boast that they have beaten us. MY only
hope IL that the Senate viii reject IT.
The more scrutnzc the inclosei MEMORANDUM
the more extraordinary and prcpostcrous the con-
ccssons granted seem; and in relation to Article /
the concessions are absurd. for the United states
Government cannot consent to the provisions
without violating sections 4,22s-9' besides
treaty obligations with other States. If Article
ia correct then all the adyanag s belong 10
Snain and none 70 us; for 10 talk about cNcino-
mo other countries il the guintessense OF absurd'y
Where are the people to get their rice and codhsh
and ierked beef FRONT What Is TO he done WIN
the two great spanish steamship lines plying DE-
tween France and Eug and 7 Is 1t probable tha'
tbev will he allowed to be destroyed, particularly
40 when Canovas and the King are stockholders
in themg Doe, any one knowing spanish duphcny
belieye that that Government VIII alternate "ci-
many France and England particularly tue t"o
formerf The proof of this was recently SNOW"
,vbop tno King issued decree admitting Germany
70 the same benefits which we had secured under
the recent commercial convention, and he pre-
dcat.d il upon the most favored nation clauses
of his treaty with Berlin. Germany buys nothing
from, this couutry except few Gig rs, bat Soils
,reot deal DO vou suppose the King Will consent
IN destroy Gernany's market, incur Bismarcks
enmity To pleasc MS, people whom Spaniards
fear and hatef What is true of Germany is true
of England and France. Besides this the trade
of those countries is necessity TO TINS slahd All
the best linens anl part linens como from France,
England. Ger Many aud Holland. The rice comes
via England aud the co1hsh from there and the
English Islands These articles. with the "a 40
iarked bsef-or South America aud the wines OF
spaip. constitute tire i-foirths Of tho imports OF
ii. ,.t,tt. Igny ttt-
ot iont tind there would bc little increase IN our
commerce. lint Ia seduce our imHEnihtiun' tneN
d,nes before 2t rlrs ~, ~ v'i"'' ~, o~rr
Mutnl 900 "A year / and even these nave auutN ~
though ~ them there Ia No foieisY - hnfnrrni,
sniuiet iinn save aud except Hour Whi'h "fieih"'N
eo,nrs from the United states VIA spain
'iho whole commerce ot salt meatn WV MOI
amount ~ siOn,oOo Ncaf' anu WI 10, anu unn.
to ahoni so 900 year ,,All the e'9 consumed consume.
IN boupht of us any how, Whhl " ln'l Nhhi'Hl
iabncs WHY You nl, an,n,, ," si1f orr
siles colors and patterns do not sun thiN OF Any
other spaus h American TASTE ana 'hef Ire nu , ~"
sides suited 10 tins climate ont OF the mutton
and half of population there are really ohiS abou'
400 600 who are consumers 10 any extent, oI icy,
tile fabrics Ihs resi-, ,e r nteru 5 vSaT
and The children 60 naked until they are siA and
eight years of age. The real consumers wear lnens
aud light silks, which We do not manufacture
10 thcir tastes And yet even these few articles
which we could supply, are not allowed ifec al
nit tancc aud all these would nor, as nave sowh
YOU increase our present trade oyei $1,000 600.
while { @ sugar and tobacco. "dnd other prodscfs,'
amounting TO $50 900. 900 year, are to be admit
ted free of duty, Never vet was Solomon 80 Sc
,uced and he had a very good wit.
The b0lition of the p" consular fees referred to
III Article has a history. 1t consists Ill an export
duty of 10 cents a ton levied ON all American eH-
ports TO these islands. Our Government for years |
and years has been protesting III vain against us
imposition aud demanding ITS suppression Ahd
when Mr.. Foster concluded the recent commerclal |
conventionwi.h Spain, its abolition was az urst |
agreed to-in exchange for Article 3, which com
united Us and converted our customs collectors lo
spies tor the Spanish custom houses OF TINS s'aild
When all was ag eed 10 the King cooliy informed
our Government thar he could not consent 10 me
suppression of the consular fees without the sane
ton of the Cortes. But he promised fhat inc
Cotes should suppress il. and SO new convention
was agreed to. Article 3 was retained, ana Is now
i'll force. but the Corcs has not suppfe SEQ the con-
sular fees. 1t is now put ID to make weight.
If anything is intended III respect 10 tonnage dues
1t is merely equaiizatiou-or at least should be
to ours Spanish vessels coming to our ports paw 80
cents ton once q year; American vessels
coming here, with cargoes, pay 81 80 ton
should charge Spanish vessels what they charge u.s.
or they charge us what We charge them. There
would be reciprocity IN this. An American
vessel of 400 tons plying regalariy hrre can DE
made to pay about or nearly $4,000. while Spaii-
ish vessel of equal tonnage would only Ply %iZu
masked under the promise that the custom laws
will be so refoiuied rs To save our vessels from
the heavy fines imposed upon them.
Several years ago the Sagasta Ministry re-
formed these regulations so as to fine. not alone
the OFFENDING vessel, but the innocent consignee,
and as the latter had the ships freight money. he
paid. aud pays both out of II. Shipmasters Won d
be willing TO suffer for original sins, rather than
seek redemption under spanish reforms. ANY one
who knows spanish character will readily under
stand how eagerly he will grasp the promise held
out IN the romantic aud poeticai legend ola North
American Customs Union" There Is a shadowy
iniangibility about II which appeals more force
fully 10 his Imagination than any practical reality
would. he never has such u profound admia-
ton for himself as when he can invent some verbal
rcfiTcment with which TO capture and paralyze the
pnbiic intellect The North American Customs
Union" will probably have n run
hut why make any treaty 7 None can be of any
material advantage to us, and one made would