The morning call., 1891-09-03
ENFORCE THE LAW.

Events are likely to compel the President
to put the foreign clauses of the Mckinley
act in force before Congress meets 1t is
understood, on apparently excellent author
ity, that Venezuela declines tc modify her
duties on imports from this country, except
to a trifing extent, in return for the free
admission of her coffee, sugar and hides
INTO the ports of the United States. No
steps have been taken by Guatemala or
Salvador 10 avail themselves of the reel
procity offered them by the Administration.
We receive their coffee free of duty into San
Francisco, but they refuse to reduce their
duties on American produce and manu-
factures. The attempt of the authorities of
Salvador, which would be poor indeed if
we did not supply marke: for the coffee
it grows, to seize an American trading
steamer for some pretended violation Of
Salvadorian port regulations, was really
the act of an unfrendly power. Nor has
Guatemala ever made proper reparaton for
the murder of a passenger on an American
ship under the American flag.
These three States reiy mainly on their
coffee to pay for the goods they get from
abroad. Venezuela exports S12. .OOe, $50 worth,
Guatemala So, 100000 worth, Salvador S.
IUt,OtU NOLtu. y ldl 70 plOpUlLou VI lle
whole comes here for sale. This market,
which is the distributing point for the Coast,
gets its coffee from Guatemala, Salvador and
Costa Rca. The Central American coffee
which does not come here goes TO Germany,
France and England, which countries levy
an import duty on it. Here it enters free.
and, of course, the grower gets SO much
more Tor it. What we ask OF those growers
So" . !,
shall admit our breadstuffs, provisions and
lumber free, and our cOttOns and hardware
at a moderate rate Of duty; and in case
they refuse the law clothes the President
with power to impose duty on their coffee.
1t is probable that nothing but the actual
enforcement Of the law will bring the in
habitants Of these countries TO their senses.
They have got so much in the habit Of dis
regarding gentle remonstrance, and of
treating representations from the United
States as idle formalities which need no
attention, that they will not awaken to a
sense Of comfy until they are compelled to
do so by elamor among their own people.
If We lay such q duty on coffee grown in
Central America and Venezuela that the
planter will get or 8 cents pound less
for HRS crop, he viii exert pressure on his
Government to compel it TO make the con-
cessions required to restore the trade to its
former conditions.
The situation is annoying, but it need not
strain our relations with our neighbors. All
that is necessary is to give them a primary
lesson in the reciprocal duties of friendly
powers. Our system of government is not
theirs, and their method of conducting
public affairs differs widely from ours.
They carry on their political controversies
with the shotgan and the knife; we settle
ours at the ballot-box. But these differ
ences cut no figure in the adjustment of our
mutual relations in matters of commerce.
We treat on such matters with emperors,
military despots and free republics, with
out making any distinction between them
If Central America thinks it more to its in
terest to cultivate close relations with Euro
pean countries than with the United States,
it is perfectly tree to do. But we, on our
side, enjoy the reciprocal right of throwing
open our markets to our friends rather than
to those who are friends of other powers
In the opinion Of most persons who are
we'll informed. it would be to the advantage
of Central America TO draw still closer the
tie which binds it to the United States and
to complete the work which proximity has
begun But if the Central Americans
think differently, we shall certainly lay no
stress upon them to change their opinion.
The American people. however, are likely
to insist that if we throw open the door to
Central American wares, we shall have the
privilege of paying for them, at least in
part in American wares.