, 1890-07-31
SPAIN'S WILLINGNESS
She Will Accept Reciprocity
Without Doubt.
BLIND ACTS OF LEGISLATION
Secretary Blaines Cogent Reply
to the Recent Letter OF
Senator Frye.

WAsHISGroN, July Ex-senator Frye
eceived letter to-day from Secretary
| Blaine, in reply to his OF II recent date.
Mr.. Blaine says in part; "You ask me
what assurance | have as to Spain 5
willingness to enter into reciprocal ar
rangements of trade with the United
States. Your question surprises me, for
you can not have forgotten that six
years ago the prime minister of Spain,
| in his anxiety TO secLre free admission
to our markets of the sugar of Cuba and
Porto Rica, agreed to a very ex-
tensive treaty of reciprocity with
Mr.. Foster, then our minister
at Madrid. About 1888 very admir-
able treaty OF reciprocity was negotiated
by General Grant and Mr.. Lescott, as
United States commissioners, with the
rcpdblic of Mexico. The treaty was
well considered in all its parts and all its
details, and the results would, | believe,
have proved very advantageous to both
countries. In view of the pending dis
! cussiOn, IL is somewhat singular that
under the circumstances both of these
treaties failed to secure the approval of
congress, and failed for the
express reason that both provided
for the free admission of sugar. Con-
gress would not then allow single
pound of sugar TO come in free of duty
under any circumstances whatever, and
now the proposition is TO open our ports
free to everybody's sugar, and to do 1t
with such rapidity that we are not to
have a moments time to see If we can
not make better trade, by which we
| r.. ..T, a
in the products of American farmers and
ships. Our change of opinion has GER
tniniy been remarkable in so brief a
period. Indeed, tho only danger of our
not securing advantageous treaties of
reciprocity now is the possible belief on
the part these countries that We are an
xious for free sugar and that by patient
waiting they can secure all they desire,
without money and without price.
III sought interviews with the eight
republican mem bers of tho committee on
ways and means more than five months
ago and endeavored to convince them
that it would be expedient and wise to
leave 10 the president the opportunity to
see what advantageous arrangements of
reciprocal trade could be effected. i was
unable to persuade the committee to
take my yiew.'
~ isi NhiHhi sciy BiaNc iiiisllhe W
oppose this reciprocal proposition
touching sugar from the fear that il may
conflict in some way with the policy of
protection. The SUGARS, Think, wholly
in tho opposite direction. The amount
of sugar we annually consume is enor-
nous. Shall we pay for IL all in cases,
or shall we seek reciprocal arrangements,
by which large part of it may be paid
Tor in pork and beef and flour, In lumber
and salt and iron, in shoes and calico
and furniture, and thousands OF
other things? | think the latter
mode Is the highest form OF protec-
tion, and tho best way to promote
trade. When shall we enlarge our com
mercial intercourse with the great con-
tinent of South America if we do not
now mako beginning2 If we now
give away the duty on sugar-as we
already have given away the duties ON
coffee and rubber, and get nothing in
exchange which shall be profitable to
the farmers of the United States, what
shall be our justification for the pol
lev ?"