St. Landry democrat., 1885-01-03
THE SPANISH TREATY.

letter From Secretary Frelinghuysen 40
the Senate Committee ON Foreign Rela-
tions On the Subject-His Defense of the
Executive and the Document-The Next
can Treaty.
WASHINGTON, D. c., December q.
Secretary Frelinghuysen, in 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 it's po-
litical aspect is of importance. Some have
thought that there is a disposition in the
United States looking to the annexation of
Cuba Such action would be unwise for
reasons which are apparent to your Com,
mittee, for, even could it be accomplished
by general consent, our Institutions would
be engendered by this beginning of q 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
ton, were that possible. The con-
Vention with Spain is one of series
of international engagements, follow.
ing the reciprocity treaty with Mexico. 1t
opens the markets of Cuba and Porto Rico
to our products The treaty with Santo
Domingo opens those OF Inae KepnGIliS; anu
lea and with Colombia tend to the same OBJ
iect In connection with these, the treaty
with Nicaragua for the construction of an
inter oceanic canal, while bringing the most
distant parts of our own country into closer
relations, opens the markets OF the west
coast OF South America to our trade, and
gives us at our doors customer able to alb
Sorb a large portion of those articles which
we produce, in return for products which we
cannot probably raise.
The Secretary then refers to the OBJ
iections made to the Spanish Convention
as follows:
1t is said that we thereby give up revenue
on sugar from twenty five to thirty -nYe mil
lions Of dollars, in return for reduction OF
duties upon our products imported into
Cuba and Port Rico estimated on the basis
of the existing traffic at from three TO nVe
millions. The REIMBURSEMENT of revenue,
| when for the public good, IS in
| the line ofthe National policy. Hitherto It
| was done in the case OF tea and coffee, which
| nv the act of May LIST, 1872, were placed upon
| the free-list without any attempt to obtain
| therefor any equivalent whatever, and sole-
| Gree breakfast table, By this measure the
| Treasury of the United States has lost during
| the last twelve years revenue OF some SA4f,
| O0OO on coffee alone; and besides, let 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 re-
| duction. Article Of this convention pre-
/ vents similar action by Spain. Ihe treaty
| now under consideration tends to cheapen
| the cost of the necessaries OF me
| by reducing the cost OF g. staple
/ OF daily consumption, OF which we
| are Obliged to import each year, nearly one
I tlraJ TToiIl rms N UaIun TO make Tor
/ the inadequate production or our own sou,
\ which amounts to only about twelve per
cent OF the whole consumption, ana at the
] same time we secure a growing market ior
| our products in the Spanish Antllles
coupled with especial privileges *, to
| said that the importation of free sugar
/ from Cuba and Porto Rico, when added to
/ our domestic production and to the lmpofta7
/ ton from the Sandwich Islands, will ran
| short Of the quantity needed for home con-
| sumption, and prices will be ruled by -that OF
| the port remaining liable to duty, SO thaS the
| profit from the removal OF duty Will go 70
4 the Cuban and Porto Rico planter and not to
| the consumers in this country II
\ this argument be true, the treaty VIII NC
4 affect the price of sugar in Louisiana, Ihe
price of commodity is lessened by the sup
| ply being greater than the demand Bat 10
is frank to say that other conYentioafs naee
i been negotiated, or are IN process OF nego-
tiation, which will provide an adequate I'M
portatfon from sugar regions.
Again. the privileged ntr 6 ioc 9e 70 To-
es reducing the rev enue and removing pro-
/ lection from the American product and
manufacture. AS TO TINS, II seems emon5r
ton against the imported article OF from
four to five times the internal revenue duties
on the American product, and secures
market hitherto denied for the special manu-
features of tobacco In winch we
/ excel, and which command a
importation is permitted. A reduction
is urged, in many quarters, Of the in
ternaI revenue tax on the manufacture OF
tobacco, and this would be; q loss OF some s,1 ne
twenty-fiye millions of dollars annually TO
the public treasury. This treaty, taken WIN
the others of the same character, stinulat t
our general exports, and thereby promotes
the interest of our manufactures.
| Continuing, the Secretary says:
These conventions enlarge the
| fnreion market for our surplus productions,
which it is the policy of protection TO secure,
and'they stimulate our commercial opera
tons and our carrying he erau enioyment Of
the privileges conceded -.
| The claim chat the Mex lean treaty IS
Unconstitutional because it affects me reVe
nne and did not originate in the mouse OF
Representatives, is singuiarly untenaofe. ~, ~
did so originate The first actlon OF G "a >
| Goynrnment toward its negotiation was the
| ennropriation by Congress 'tor the salaries
and expenses of a Commission 90 negetiate
commercial treaty with iat tpo ,,osi+ions
fhat negotiations of this class are unconstl.
tntionaI The only object
which the Executive has o had IN view view
az fhe action of Congress, hasbeen the
Best tint interest Of the REPUBLIC, and in en-.
deayoring to realize this the II int Gonare
o. sne se PVed9 as guide # the SPAN
ish treaty does not meet the ieppGoyal Of
the legislative branch OF the government y,
the REPRESENTATIVES of the popular VIII can
not tail. [ trust, to perceive that the
President has made an earnest eo oe 70 ref
move from the field OF dispute sao os y, ~
Gs....a L. stins. and increasing benefits to