New-York tribune., 1891-04-24

any interest in Cuba. The abolition OF thc
sugar duties might cheapen an article OF uihVe'-
sal consumption in the United States, but tha'
vvould not be a direct benefit to the island
Iroy could II be when from "a to 90 per cehb
If the sugar produced in Cuba was going 10
tho United States even when there was reye-
me tax of cents pound. There was 10
other market for that sugar. il had to be Solu
,bere or nowhere 1t reached the market with
= fax imposed upon it: and Cuba had nothing
to Gain from the removal OF the duties. 1t was
not until the Reciprocity Amendment was en-
,,roftod upon the Tariff bill that CubanS had
ANYTHING to hope from free sugar. That was q
,,.oonon which could be and has been used most
,,o,.nrf,,IIy in the interest of impoverished and
de.noiled Cuba. That brought in American d.
nlomacy with tremendous elect to hight the
hattie of Cuba and to achieve ITS economic
emancipation from SPAIN.
Cuba had the markets of the United States
even when sugar was taxed there. Nhat 1t
did not have was the full purchasing power OF
what if had 70 sell. 1t was prohibited from
buv1no freely in the only market where 1t could
sell It's exports. The effect OF a system OF I'M
recnrocaI protection enforced for the selfish IN
forests Of Spain was to compel Cuba to pay 200
or 30O nor cent more for It's imports than other
sugar-producing islands, notably jamaica Dar-
badops and Trinidad It could get only Il lrdc-
tion of the full value in exchange tOf us chiel
stape in the American market, ana ms 100 a'
= time when through the development OF beet
sugar in Europe it was compelled 10 Ieu'Ce
tho cost Of production more than One-hall.
Rocinrocitv. while it will enlarge the American
export trade. will do mmeasuably more Iol
Cuba than for the United states. 1t VIII
double and possibly treble, the purchasing
power of the islands sugar in the only market
where there is any chance OF selling 1t.
What Cuba has been enabled to do through
tbe Intervention of American diplomacy Is 10
secure economic union with the great Republic
without disturbance of the relations of political
dependence upon the Mother state. Inc enec'
Of this policy will be TO render the Is!ahd more
LOYAL to Spain than it was before. Inc progress
of the annexation movement VIII be dfIeSIeu'
The political revolution which seemed 20 De I'M
pending has been indefinitely deferred rom
the American point of view this Is a great gam
for the cutbrcal; Of revolution in the island next
veor would have rendered it difficult to prevent
the Intervention of the United States, ana TINS
might have opened the way for annexation
Americans to-day are of one mind in believing
that they do not want Cuba; and they are right
for the Anglo-Saxon and Latin civilizations dc
not accord with each other, and the two races
cannot work harmoniouSly under one and the
same political system. Revolution in Cnoa
would have brought with it the annexation queS-
ton in the most aggressive form. 1t would have
been a most difficult thing to keep the people
of the island out Of the Union If they were
clamoring to come in after neglect on the part
of Spain to heed their urgent demand for the
negotiation of a Reciprocity Treaty. All these
contingencies have been anticipated by the sue
ccSS of the Harrison Administration in over
coming diplomatic resistance in Madrid.
revolution on the island has been averted. Inc
island has been rescued from the verge OF com
mercial ruin and political chaos.