San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-07-28
VENEZUELA KICKS.

VENEZUELA KICKS.
The anti.reciprocity writer's of this
country are now happy. The state OF
Venezuela has decided that it will
not join the reciprocity ranks, and its
congress has finally voted mo" on
that proposition. There are reasons
for that action. Home reasons and
foreign ones. The home reasons are
found in the peculiar condition of that
country. In the relation the people
sustain to the government, in the
methods of raising revenue, and in
the cupidity of the rulers who control
prices and prevent improvements for
their own profit. The Galveston
News of Monday has very temper
ate article ON the ttitude of Venez.
uela, in which all the blame is not
saddled onto the republican admins
tration at Washington, as is so usual
in such cases. From this article the
following extracts are taken:
The policy of reciprocity which is
being pushed by the Washington
administrat ion has received q check
from the congress of Venezuela. This
may not be q matter of serious Inn
portance, as that country is neither
very populous nor possessed of an ex-
tensive trade. The country contains
about 2, 500, 900 people, of whom per
haps l per cent are whites and
the remainder, negroes, Indians and
mixed breeds. The total imports In
1885 were less than Sl2, 200, 900 and ex-
ports less than Sl6,000,00O. Coffee,
cocoa, cattle and gold are the leading
products. An estimate gives the
land in cultivation In coffee as being
about $50. 900 acres. Hides and anil
mails figure in the exports after coffee,
cocoa and tobacco. The Venezuelan
statesmen want all the money they
can collect from high tariff and they
find abundant encouragement from
some people in the United States, even
from some who are frequently occu-
pied in denouncing a high tariff here.
1t seems as if some of the professedly
tariff reform papers in this country
were 80 happy TO get lick at Blaine
and Harrison that they will indorse
certain high tariff notions and scraps
of argument in order to do 80. The
blame for Venezuela's present policy |
is probably in part chargeable upon |
anti-reciprocity papers which have |
declared that Presiden
Harrison will not dare use the power |
which congress gave him to re.
impose certain duties on foreign |
products by proclamation. Perhaps |
Iney rely upon the feature in the law
which simply authorizes this course |
if country is discriminating against |
the United States. A country may
decline giving further favors but may
be treating the United States as well
as other countries are treated. In
that case it is not clear how the pres
ident could have ground for retalia.
ton; but If the lawful cause for q re-
imposition of duties exists 1t is
safe to say that the New York World
and other papers are as wrong
in their Inference as in manner of
braggadocio, for the United States
has some reason to show Brazil and
Cuba the reality of reciprocity, by re-
taliating upon any of: their illiberal
competitors producing for the mar
kets of the United States. President
Harrison cannot and will not do less
than give effort to the law where
there Is clear cause for action,
This administration may be safely
trusted to protect it's own policy. The
American states that reject reciprocl-
ty ccunot expect to secure the same
trade advantages that are secured by
the reciprocating states. Uncle Sam
does not expect reciprocity at the ex.
pense of the contracting parties,
neither does he expect to see recipro.
city rejected by any American state
at his expense.