Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-03-15
MEXICO OUR FRIEND.
Discussing the Importance of Keep
ing on Friendly Terms With
ALL OUR SOUTHERN NEIGHBORS.
Mr.. Gibson Sketches American Interests
in Our Sister Republic and
REVIVEs MEXICAN WAR MEMORIES

WASHINGTON, March 14-while the
Senate was sitting with closed doors Mr..
Gibson's resolution was taken up for the ap
pointment of select committee of seven
Senators on the relations of the United
States with Mexico and Central America,
and Mr.. Gibson spoke in support of it.
If there were any just grounds, he said,
for the formation of like committee on re-
lations with Canada, the grounds were
surely as strong and as imperative in regard
to Mexico. Mexico was republic, the
nearest neighbor to the United States, and
should be made the firm friend of this coun-
try. That was the primary object of his
! resolution. He desired the Mexican people
to feel that the people of the United States
desired their cordial and fraternal friend
ship. It was of the utmost Importance
that the people of Mexico should cease
to cherish jealousy of the people of the
United States or those resentments natural
to them that grew out of the war by which
the United States had come into possession
of more than half of their territory. The
friendship of Mexico was needed in order to
uphold and maintain-across the Isthmus of
the Monroe doctrine, and it was quite as
important to the autonomy and freedom of
Mexico that that doctrine should be main.
tanned by the United States in the face of
the hostile aggression of Germany, France
or Great Britain.
AMERICAN INTERESTS IN MEXICO.
But irrespective of that, it was important
to cultivate friendly relations with the peo-
pie of Mexico in order to develop Americas
trade with that people. Mexico contained
an area of 742, 148 square miles; extended
for several thousand miles along the south
ern border of the United States, and had a
population of nearly 10,5O0.0O0. The
value of its agricultural products
was about S150,000,000 year,
and it was directly connected by
railroad with the United States. 1t seemed
to him that it was the duty of the Senate to
appoint a committee to ascertain what the
hindrances were to the DEVELOPMENT Of trade
between the United States and Mexico.
Why was it that France sent into Mexico
double the value of goods that the United
States sent there? If there were
good reasons for developing trade relations
with Canada, where there was
population of only 4,00O,O0O, there was a
still stronger reason for developing them
Will meAlCO, hutTG IucTG was d pOpu1dIlOu
of over 100000. Another reason for the
appointment of the proposed committee was
the existence of the "Free Zone" between
Mexico and the United States in which
zone there were constant Irregularities,
revenue frauds, disturbances of the public
peace, disorders and tumult.
Mr.. Morrill,, in satirical tone, expressed
the hope that if such committee were ap-
pointed the chair would not forget him, as
he would like to make trip to Mexico in a
palace car with a buffet. But seriously, if
the matter were to be considered by any
committee, it should be either by the Com
mittee on Commerce or the Committee on
Finance. He hoped, therefore, that the
resolution would be referred to one of these |
committees.
PLATT COMPLIMENTS HARRISON.
Mr.. Platt recognized fully the Importance
of cultivating friendly relations of d COM
mercial character with Mexico and the |
South American States. He congratulated |
the Senate and the country that an admin
istration was now being entered on which |
would establish relations of positive friend |
illness with all the countries in the western |
hemisphere. He favored, however, the |
reference of all such resolutions to an appro-
pirate committee, and thought it bad policy |
to depart from that rule in any case He |
committee on commerce.
Mr.. Regan advocated the adoption of the |
resolution. The Free Zone" he said. was |
a territory about ten miles wide, running |
from the mouth of the Rio Grande to Ell |
Paso, distance of 600 or 700 miles. 1t had |
operated to embarrass commerce in various |
ways, and it was necessary to have some |
steps taken to prevent smuggling into both |
countries The forays, robberies and mur-
hat IN hot fo~,
years ago no longer existed to the same ex-
tent, but commercial generalization, grow
ing of that Free Zone, +" increased with the .
growth of the country. He fully agreed |
with the Senator from Louisiana as to the |
great importance of cultivating the most |
friendly relations with Mexico.
MEXICO NOT UNGRATEFUL.
Mr.. Hoar, referring to Mr.. Gibson's re-
mark as to Mexico's loss of territory as the |
result of the war with the United States, |
expressed the idea that the Mexican people |
knew that war had not been approved by |
very large portion of the American people; |
and also that they were not forgetful of the |
fact that the European invasion,
which had resulted in the establish
ment of the empire under Maximilian,
had been ended by word from the |
State Department at Washington at the
close Of the American Civil War. He did |
not think that any modern nation had con-
ferred on any other nation an obligation
equal to that conferred by the United States
on Mexico when the empire under Maxi
milan disappeared.
Mr.. Call favored the adoption of the reso-
luton and opposed the motion of reference
TTe also advocated, indirectly, his own reso-
luton, proposing like select committee for
Cuba and the West India Islands. The
question of the annexation or acquisition of
the island of Cuba was, he said, present to
the mind of large portion of the people of
the United States. He had recently
had various letters on that subject, showing
that public attention was being directed to
it. II it was important to ascertain the
commercial relations present or prospective,
between Canada and the United States, it
certainly was equally important to ascertain
them in regard to Cuba and Mexico
Mr.. Hale objected to the further consider
alton of the subject, the Senate being in ex-
ecutive session; and the Senate at 1880 took
a recess till 8 P. M. and at 3:20 adjourned
until Monday.
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