Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1890-07-26
BLAINE ON RECIPROCITY.
The Secretary of state Writes to Senator
Frye Giving His Ideas of How to Open
Spanish America to Western Products.

xhe secretary OF state Writes to Senator
Frye Giving His Ideas of How to Open
Spanish America to Western Products.
WASHINGTON, July 15.-The following
letter from Secretary Blaine was re.
ceiyed Monday by Senator Frye:
HBAR HARBoR, Me-, July 11.-Dear Wr. Frye.
Ihaye just received intelligence from the high.
est commercial authority In Havana that
American -four, under the new duties i'm
posed by Spain, can not reach the Cuban
market under q cost Of sll.46 per barrel,
counting the shipping price in New
York at I.80 per barrel. Spain holds the
market for herself and is able to send European
-four at price which totally excludes the
American -four from the markets OF Cuba and
Porto Rico Other articles of American growth
are likewise taxed by Spain to the point of
prohibition. This one-sded commerce will
seriously in1ure the shipping routes which are
SUI In American hands, largely II not exclu.
s'yey.
III would certainly be a very extraordinary
policy on the part Of our Government Just at
,tls time to open our market without charge
o'suty TO the enormous crops Of sugar raised
ne two Spanish Islands, Cuba and
0fto' Rico furnish the United States
with nearly or quite one.haf Of the
sugar which we consume, and we are far
larger consumers than any other Nation in the
world. To give free market to this immense
product of the Spanish plantations at the mo.
mont Spain Is excluding the products of Amer.
lean farms from her markets would be a policy
as unprecedented as it would be unwse.
"Our trade with the American republics as
well as with the West Indian islands has been
for many years in u most unsatisfactory condi.
pf urit OH
Latin America is heavily against u.s. A sin.
gle Illustration will suffice. Since we re.
peaed the duty on coffee in 1872 we have I'm.
ported the products OF Brazil to the extent Of
1901 s06,OO0, and have sold to her only sl56,
lS50D OF our products The difference
E44,673,OC-we have paid In gold or its
equivalent, and Brazil has expended the vast
sum in the markets of Europe. You can readi.
ly see how different the result would have been
II in return for the free admission OF Brazilian
coffee in our markets we had exacted the
free admission Of certain products of the
United States in the Brazilian market. To re-
peat this error with sugar Ito an amount three
times as large as with cofee) will close all op.
portunity to establish reciprocity Of trade with
Latin. America.
''The charge against the protective policy
which has injured 1t the most Is that its bene.
italist, and not at oil to the farmer You
and l well know that this is not true,
but still 1t Is the most plausible and
therefore the most hartful argument made
by the free trader. Hero is an oppor.
tunity when the farmer may be benefited pri-
marily, undeniably richly benefited. Here Is
an opportunity for Republican Congress to
open the markets OF 100000 OF people to the
products Of American farmers Shall we seize
the opportunity or shall we throw il away;
81 do not doubt that In many respects the
tariff bill pending in the Senate is just meas
ure and that most Of its provisions are in ac.
cordance with the wise policy Of protection.
But there Is not q section or line in the
entire bill that will csen a market for an.
other b2shel Of wheat or another bar.
rel OF pork II sugar Is placed on the
free list without exacting important trade con.
cession in return we Shall close the door for
profitable reciprocity against ourselves.
think you will md, som" valuable hints on this
subject in the Presidenr brief message OF June
49, with as much practical wisdom as was ever
stated in SO short space.
"Our foreign market for breadstufs grows
narrower. Great Britain is exertinp every
nerve to secure her bred supplies from India,
and the rapid expansion Of the wheat area in
Russia gives us a powerful competitor IN the
markets of Europe. IL becomes US therefore,
to use every opportunity for the exten.
sion Of our market on both of the
ntys..q oogtinontg. With --r-l7 $500.
natket every year, we shan pf6ve 'oCir,oIst5
most unskilled legislators II we do not secure
arge field for the sale and consumption of our
brcadstufs and provisions. Tho late confer.
cnce Of American republics proved the exist
ence Of common desire for closer relations.
Our Congress should take up the work where
the International conference left it. Our field
Of commercial development. and progress lies
south Of us. Very sincerely yours,
JAMES G.. BLAINE.
,,uon w ID Ervo I-nitod C+atoe Corotau