New-York tribune., 1891-03-08
RECIPROCITY WITH MEXICO.


Cuba have given our readers such o'0Si anu
intelligent view of the social, poilucai anu 'oii'-
mercial situation there, has now ledcHeu 'he
continent and is moving through -heAioo anu
the Central Americas. Already Dis iel'erS ue
scrintive of Mexican affairs are reachihS US ana
certainly they are among the most interesting
bo hos at any time contributed Iheir thor-
ouobness in portraying the whole OF a gwen
subject. their sagacity in pointing ont thoSe
things which are important to American mer-
chants and investors. their truthful descriptions
ond so,s;b,a sucpestons render them conspic-
uons for their excellence among even the best
Of the foreign correspondence so liberally PRINT
cd in our columns At this time, for the les
sons tbey contain on the all-engrOssing slhJecc
how Reciprocity may be secured and best en-
oloyed--they have a practical value TO almost
every citizen.
Our correspondent makes il quite plain that
Reciprocity with Mexico is very different thing
from Reciprocity with Brazil or Cuba. We re-
ceye from Mexico it is true proportion OF her
total expectation almost as great as inc proper
tion received from Cuba and even greater than
that received from Brazil But it consists OF
many articles supplied in comparatively small
quantities rather than two or three great staples
sent hther in vast bulk. The Reciprocity clause
Of the present Tariff Act empowers the Presi-
dent to employ retaliatnry force only through
sugar. molasSes, coffee and hides. Mexico pro-
duces, however, but little sugar, and none at all
for export. Her possibilities aS sugar-gfoWing
country are undoubtedly immense and II sum
ulatpd as Uawaii's were, by the concession OF
a market that might be monopollzed or. at any
rate bv a market sure to consume all she could
raise. Mexico would occupy but short while
in making herself one Of the largest Sugar-pro-
ducers in the world. But it is an open question
whether her people will consider privilege. e1-
tended already to Brazil and likely to be granted
also TO Cuba. Porto Rico and Peru, rs of suiii-
cent value to justify the large expenditures they
would have to make to become an Important
competitor The mere fact, however, that they
are not sugar exporters now removes one OF the
strongest arguments which the President could
make why they should agree with us about
Reciprocity.
Coffee and hides they do export, and coffee
in large quantities: and of their total coiieo
product we take At least sc per cent. Were wo
TO close against them our market for this cX-
port il would deal n harsh blow 70 Mexican
agriculture but not. as in the case OF Cuba and
her sugar necessarily fatal one. Nor would
il more than check the noble progress which
the country is making under Senior Diaz. 20
that although we deal with them TO the extent
of buying fcur-hfthS Of all they SELL so much
of it is irrevocably on the free list that we can
hardly obtain their custom by threatening tho
withdrawal of ours. Nor would it be wise to
mn
ingly sensitive, and we have wounded them
painfully once already in the matter OF Reel
procitv Treaty We first cnticcd them to mako
il and then, when they had ratified 1t. we tore
il up and refused to have anything more to do
with it, Taking il as whole this was not
creditable proceeding on our part. nor one cal
culatcd 10 inspire IcSpcc- for our representations
or confidence in our methods. The con>tltu-
tional requirement that before treaty is valid
il must be ratified by the Senate, though deemed
by Americans generally 10 be one OF the Wisc>c
and safest provisions of their system. does,
nevertheless. expose them constantly to the mis-
understandings and harsh criticisms of foreign
ers. The MeXicanS have never been able To
see why we should press a treaty on them, and
then, after they accepted il with none too mnch
alacrity, straiRhtway proceed to reject 1t our-
selves Moreover they are a TITLE disturbed by
our refusal to lci them swamp our miners with
lead admitted under the wing OF silver, and,
like the rest of the human race they think less
Of what has been done to facilitate their trade
than TO check it in the interest Of our own. Tho
Reciprocity problem with Mexico is one of many
pcrpexites but two such men as Mr.. Blaine
and Mr.. Romero should be able to solve it. They
will both approach It's consideration in SYM
pathetic spirit. and that will count for much.