New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-14

Rut The aeceutance of the. offer then would have
meant vastly more to the islanders than 1t will
mean now Their product of sugar, which comes
to the United States in its entircty Is less IMAM
nine per cent of our total importation 1t Is val
uable especially for it's quality, but its amount
would not affect the price of sugar. HAD inc
American offer been accepted then, the result
would have been In effect bounty of two cents
a hound to the sugar growers of the British West
Indies Their sugar would have entered the
American market free, and would have sold NJ
the price made by the tariff. The effect of such
an advantage upon the development of the ISLANDS
would have been simply incalculable. Their Old
time prosperity would have returned almost in
the twinkling of an eye. Hundreds OF estates no"
abandoned would have resumed producuoh'
Wages would have increased, and in the glow Oh u
new development, the evils OF foreign RUE "ouiu
have been obscured. The islanders were dehghteo
beyond measure, but England set peremptory
foot upon the scheme. and would nave none VI
it. The American demand required, OF course;
tie adoption by the islanders oil a preferential
tariff which as il operated to swelk American lni-
ports. would have checked those OF Great britain;
and although the losses TO British trade woulo
have been nothing in comparison with the Dene-
fits accruing TO the islands, the Colonial once
held that the scheme was diametrlcally opposed
to the British free trade theory shd i a. nas
were dissatisfied with their English rulers before,
they were immensely more so now. England haa
taken bread out OF their starving mouths anu
without offering so much as a stone lnsteau. "!
course England denied that her refusal TO permit
a difrerential tariff favoring America was based
on selfish considerations, and made In response
to the demands of English exporters: She OIL.
cially said il was necessary in the interests OF
free trade all parts of the Empire must have
the same tariff policy, and all that But 1t was
no more agreeable to the colonlsts to starve IN
the interest of a theory than for the dement, OF
rich relations. Their feelings were the more
embttered by the contrasts they had TO draw
between their condition and the parental DenaVlor
that held them down to it and the condition Oh
the French islands, Martinique and Guadaloupc,
and the sort of treatment they received from
their mother country.
At about the time when England prusqueY
dismissed the American proposals France con-
ferred upon Martinique and Guadalupe bounty.
Ii was so per cent less in amount than the bounty
in effect held out by America TO the BRUSH lsans,
but II was enough TO set things hummlng IN tne
French colonies They had never fallen into such
straits as their British sisters for France had al
ways considered herself In some meas
ure responsible for her little American
dependencies. France, moreover, was not
welded 10 free-trade. She did not think
fire because it was logical On the contrary, APP
preciating that the possibilities of her West Indian
possessions were vast beyond all calculation, she
supposed it would be eggs in her basket to help
happened to be in hard luck. SO. as the British
,Njlu Indies have been growing poorer ana
poorer, the French have grown richer and richer
and have returned the bounty ten times over IN
their enormous drafts on French export products
Having this object-lesson constantly under their
nsses the British colonists have come to look on
England as a harsh and unnatural mother. They
still say prayers for the Queen, but 1T is fortunate
of love or gratitude toward Her Majesty's Govern
ment. L. L. Q.