The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-01-07
ABOUT MEXICO.
Her Commercial Importance - tins
United States-..Her Popula.
tion.-.Eoreign COMPETE
ton for Her Trade.

NEW YORK, Jan. 7--aGathn says: A MEM
Der of the old Spanish shipping house Of d.
Riviera, in New York said to me: "Mexico Is
the great country for Americans to get the
trade of now IL we do not secure it, newt
ably other nations will take it up"
Said I: "Have you business with Mexico"
"Oh, yes; we are sending her all kinds of
things You would be surprised to see what
they are taking from us. We send them ma
chinery, and even potatoes. We received
from Mexico last year 10000 beles of hemp.
worth probably $50 to 500 bale. The house
Of Thebaud, which is also in the Mexican
trade received a great deal more hemp than
that"
i. Have you any idea, said to this gentle
man, show the population Of Mexico, com
pares with that of Brazil.'
1T is generally believed" said my friend,
"that Brazil outnumbers Mexico, but that
has been of late disputed. The population of
neither country is very thoroughly ascer-
tanned. Most of the authorities put down
Mexico as having more than 100000, and
Brazil as having about 10,00G,0 900.
This would make about thir-
teen persons to the square mile
in Mexico, and only three persons to the
square mile in Brazil The Mexican popula-
ton, however, is to all reasonable intents our
population for trade. They are right under
meath us, and | think it is a shameful COM
mentary on the condition of American com
merce that we run only one line of steamers
from New York to Mexico. Why, when you
think of the size Of that country and the pro
auctions, we ought to have half dozen
steamship lines to Vera Cruz"
care foreign nations competing sharply
with US for the Mexican trader"
You bet they are. They are offering in
ducements such as we never conceived of
They will sell sugar and machinery, for in
stance, to the Mexicans and give them two
or three years to pay for it. The Germans
the French and the English, but particularly
the former two, go to the point of folly t.
secure this trade. We have 1t in our power
to take hold of it now in the infancy of thu
business, and if we do not do it we shall hav,
bnt little prospect in the future"
Said to Mr.. DRiviera; "What is you
idea about the influence of all these railroad
we are building into MexicoF
They are going to help materially; bu
how can they help unless we have some re
ciprocal or free intercourse with tina
country? Why should not congress lie
us export to Mexico on more liberal terms
We want Of them what they raise
and they want what we manufacture
Other nations are fastening t
take advantage of the opening of that coun
| try. The Mexicans are just now being devel
oped into anotherpeople. The opening of tn
! land hos ShoUn than, what tha c.o1n FORTS y !.
that exist in the outer world, and they ar
picking them up rapidly.
"Do you not think that tie trade of the in
| terror of cur own continent is of more const
quence than the infant trade of Mexicog'
THAT is great mistake, and will ult
mately wreck our trading energies, said m
friend "When You find a family intermarry
ing among each other, you can pretty nearl
predict their speedy decay. So it is when
people have no trade with anybody but then
selves We have been all facing inward il
stead Of outward, and our laws have bee
framed to discourage and diminish the spir
Of foreign trade, and consequently nearly a
the shipping at our own doors is under fo
e;gn flags We must remember that our O,
Invites in the past are being picked up b
other people. For instance, we were the fir
nation to plant and reap and cultivate h
labor-saving machinery, such as drills. Tho
machineries are passing into the hands
other nations, as in South America, and eve
i'll India When they learn all that we ha,
got. with the soil and climate they posses
we may find that it is too late for us to &
out from under our restrictions and keep Of
place in the world