Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-01-01
THE SPANISH TREATY.

letter From Secretary Frelinghuysen To
the Senate Committee on Foreign Rela-
tions On the Subject-His Defense of the
Executive and the Document-The Mexi-
can Treaty.
WASHINGTON, D. c., December q.
Secretary Frelinghuysen, in a letter writ
ten yesterday to Hon. John f. Miller,
Chairman of the Senate Committee on For
eign Relations, respecting the treaty,
says:
The Convention now before you in its po-
liticaI aspect is of Importance. Some have
thought that there is disposition in the
United States looking to the annexation OF
Cuba. Such action would be unwise for
reasons which are apparent to your Com
mttee, for, even could it be accomplished
by general consent, our Institutions would
be engendered by this beginning of a colonial
system, or by an Incorporation into our body
polite of a large population not in en-
tire sympathy with our governmental
aims and methods. The treaty removes the
cause of complaint as to the treatment of
our citizens and their property in Cuba and
Porto Rico, which have heretofore led to
serious discussion between the two govern
ments and by bringing the islands into close
commercial connection with the United
States, confers upon us and upon them all
nenehts when wonid aeshe IRON Tha eoa
vention with Spain is one OF series
of international engagements, follow
opens the markets of Cuba and Porto Rico
to our products. The treaty with SantO
Domingo opens those of that Republic, and
lea and with Colombia tend to the same OBJ
ject. In connection with these, the treaty
inter oceanic canal, while bringing the most
distant parts of our own country into closer
relations, opens the , markets OF the west
gives us at our doors a customer able to alb
serb large portion of those articles which
we produce, in return for products which we
cannot prohtabiy raise.
The Secretary then refers to the OBJ
jections made to the Spanish Convention
as follows:
1t is said that we thereby give up revenue
ON sugar from twenty five to thirty five mil
lions of dollars, in return for reduction OF
CUBA and "p Port Rico Estimated on the basis
of the existing traffic at from three to five
millions. The REIMBURSEMENT of revenue,
the line of the National policy. Hitherto it
was done in the case of tea and coffee, which
the free-list without any attempt to obtain
therefor any equivalent whatever, an d SOLE
~ in obedience to the popular demand for
Treasury of the United States has lost during
the last twelve years revenue of some $l44.-
UUU,U0O on cOUee alone anu DeSiQeS, let US not
forget that Brazil awaited 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 re-
duction. Article of this convention pre-
vents similar action by spain. The treaty
now under consideration tends to cheaper
by reducing the cost of a staple
of daily consumption, of which we
hundred millions in value to make UP for
the inadequate prodaction of our own soil,
which amounts to only ABOUT twelve per
same time we secure a growing market for
our products in the Spanish Antilles
o oor merchant an e marine. IS also
said that the importation of free sugar
our domestic production and to the inporta-
ton from the Sandwich Islands, will fall
short of the quantity needed for home con-
the port remaining liable to duty, SO that the
profit from the removal of duty will go to
the he Cuban and Porto Rico a planter and not to
this argument be true, the treaty will not
affect the price OF sugar in Louisiana. The
price of a commodity is lessened by the sup
ply being greater than the demand. But it
IS frank to say that other conventions have
tiation, Which win provide an adequate I'M
portation from sugar regions.
Again, the privileged introduction of to-
as reducing the rev enue and removing pro-
lection from the American product and
As to this, it seems enough to
say that the convention leaves q diScrimna-
ton against the imported article of from
four to five times the internal revenue duties
market hitherto denied for the special manu-
features of tobacco in which, we
sTefab and market Waich wne eeWm"nd their
importation is permitted. reduction |
is urged in many quarters, of the in |
and this would be; a loss of some |
twenty five millions of dollars annually to |
the public treasury This treaty, taken with |
our general exports, and thereby promotes |
the interest of our manufactures.
Continuing, the Secretary says:
These conventions enlarge the /
foreign market for our surplus productions
and they stimulate our commercial opera I
TO our vessels the enjoyment of
The claim that the Mex lean treaty is
lnconst itutional because it affects the reve- |
nue. and did not originate in the House of
is sngularly untenabie. 1t
lid 50 originate. The first action of this
Government toward its negotiation was the
md expenses of a Commission to negotiate
! commercial treaty with Mexico"
hat negotiations of this class are unconsti.
which the Executive has had in. View
n the negotiations of the conventions now
,waiting the action of Congress, has been the
pest interest of the Republic, and in en-
leavoring to realize this, the limitations
If the purposes and desires of Congress
lave served as guide. If the span
sh treaty does not meet the approval of
he legislative branch of the Government, |
he Representatives of the popular will can
lot fail, l trust, to perceive that the
resident has made an earnest effort to re- |
move from tile field of dispute a subject of
contention, as far Cuba is concerned, and
0 secure lasting and increasing benefits to
,ur agricultural, manufacturing and com
nercial interests, and to the people of the
Tnion full protection to the persons and
property of our citizens abroad.