The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1890-08-16
BLAINE'S LATEST LETTER.
IIe Ignores All tho Facts That Fail
TO support His Contention.
IFrOm the Chicago Times. [


Says Mr.. Blaine to Mr.. Frye: tCome,
| implOre you, to the support of my
reciprocity project" or words to that
effect. lie Intimates that it was mis-
AXE TO admit coffee free from Brazil
without first exacting the free admis-
sion of certain American products into
Brazil, and adds: ITO repeat this error
with sugar Oo all amount three time.
as large as with coftee) will close al
opportunity to establish reciprocity oi
trade with Latin America And again
referring TO his proposal to retain the
-ngar duties for the purpose OF trading
them off for cnmmercial fnvors from the
Latin Americans, he says: "iiere is an
opportunity for Il republican congress
TO open the markets of forty millions OF
peOple to the products of American
farmers. Shall we seize the oppOriunit,
or shall we throw it away"
Mr.. Blaine directs special attention
to our trade with the Spanish posses.
lions of Cuba and Porto Rica, from
which we get nearly or quite one hall
| OF the sugar we consume. lie condemns
the policy of admitting sugar iron
them free without insisting that Oui
agricultural products shall be admitted
TO them free. lie wOuld have Mr.. Frye
| and others believe that the American
farmer would be "undeniably, richly
benefited" bY dicker for The free ad
| mission Of our agricultural products
| INTO Cuba and Porto Rico In return iOl
The free admission of sugar from thos,
| Islands into the United S.atea.
If VIC look INTO the matter u little WI
| will discover that MIR. Blaine, a. usual
| ignores all the facts that TALL to suppOr
his contention. The principal Ameri
can agricultural product imported int
those islands is wheat fiOnr, and th
most of il goes to Cuba. In 1887, tn
last year tor which we have returns, tn
value of flour imported into Cnba wa
81, ,SSI ,456. OF whicn $1.ii5, ,355 wa
from Spain and $l,726. 100 was fror
this country. Porto Rico buys enoug'
flour, perhaps, to bring up the iOia
importation into the two islands &
81, 900 900. TO be liberal call il $5 900,
900. We import from them abOn
S44 ,000,000 worth of sugar. Mr.. Blain
,ioes not state these facts to Mr.. Frye
That gentleman might not think
market for $5, ,OOO, 900 worth of flour 8
| valuable a prize to be secured for th
American farmer i'm exchange for a
American market for $44 900. 900 wort
of sugar. About the only other Amer
ican agricultural products bought b
the islanders, to any considerable ex
tent, is lard, of which they take abou
S3 ,OOO, 900 worth. But since nearly q
of il now comes from the United State
il would not benefit our farmers muc
to dicker for the free admission of lar
into Cuba and Porto Rico.
An examination of the trade stats
tics of other Latin.Americsn countrie
does not strengthen Mr.. Blaine's cas-
Ills talk about opening the markets
30 900 900 of people to the products
. American farmers sounds very fine an
large, but it is mostly wind. The Lati
American counties are themselv'
agricultural, and their imports a.
therefore mostly manufactures. The
,, ia no great demand there tor our agr
cultural products, aud 1t Is not like
there ever will be. Mr. Blaine ougl
to know this perfectly well. And "
he deliberately proposes to "beneti
American farmers by offending ar
driving off their best customers, at
offering them by way of compensate
mere chance of increasing their sal
2 to the Latin Americans. Great Brita
: alone buys ten times as much of Il
produce of our farms as all the Latil
y Americans do, or ever will. And y
+ Mr.. Blaine favors policy which is a
d mirably calculated to drive away th
d best customer, and give rs only ba
Lib nf
q toner.
= Il Is not the American farmer I'll
6 MIR. Blaine is trying TO benefit, but
u American ship subsidy and boun
i beggar and the tariff pampered Anne
" can manufacturer. His only care
y the farmer is for the farmer as voti
r, machine. lie sees the farmer Victi
At of his policy slipping away, and
ii seeks TO bold them by offering them
" chimera OF Latin American mark