Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-10-15

with the fullest knowledge of its scope and
character. This is one of the compacts
which is due to the retaliatory clause of
the Mckinley law. Under the treaty, he
sIys, the United States surrenders S16,-
ooU,UOo of revenue every year from the
concessions made to Brazilian products,
while the monetary value of Brazil's
favors to US at the custom house is only
Il, $4,000 to s2,500,000. On some OF
cur articles on which Brazil gains large
revenue, no abatement of duty has been
made. The minister also takes pains to
tell his government that even with the
privileges granted to the United States
this country will have no especial adj
vantages over Europe in the Brazilian
market. Our products, on the whole, he
virtually declares, can not be LAID down in
Brazil so cheaply as those of England,
France and Germany, because the interest
on capital and the rate of wages are much
higher in the United States than in the
great European countries, and because the
comparative absence of direct and fire.
quent steamship communication here with
Brazil, which compels us to send much of
our goods by way of England operates
heavily against US in cost of Transports
tlon ana insurance.
There are several facts. however, which
should be duly considered any weighed by
Americans before forming and Judgment
on the treaty. 1t should BE- borne In mind
on the start that the letter of tie Brazilian
minister was in defense of the treaty from
the attacks to which it was subjected in
his country, and that Re naturally would
seek to make campact for which he Is
In large degree responsible look as fa-
vorable as possible to her interests. To
this necessityis largely due his attempt to
show that European products wonld not
suffer by the treaty, as European influence
Is powerful In the new government of
Brazil, and Europe all along fought the
project to bestow favors on the United
States. A glance at the treaty shows that
it admits many important American pro-
ducts such as wheat, wheat -four, corn,
potatoes, hay, pork, bacon, cotton-seed
oil, hard and soft coal, agricultural tools
and machinery-free of duty, while it re-
duces the duty on lard. hams, butter,
cheese, canned and preserved meats, fish,
vegetables, cotton, iron. steel and leather
manufacturers and other commodities. In
some OF these articles we hold a virtual
monopoly, and in others we can now sue
cessfully meet all foreign competition in
the Brazilian market. The fact that Bra,
zil's concessions to US are hurting Europe
is conclusively demonstrated in the cru
SADIE which England, Germany and France
are making to kill the treaty or to have
equal privileges granted to the nselves
Moreover, two thirds of the SIC, 800, 900
revenue which the minister says the Unit
ed States surrendered in exchange for a
concession of from 81 500, 900 to 81, 500,000
by Brazil was surrendered many years be-
fore the Mckinley law was framed, and
consequently cannot weigh heavily on us
now. the treaty may not be as favorable
to us as could be desired or was hoped for,
but it is much more so than the exigencies
of the situation permitted the Brazilian
minister to acknowledge, and it is fully as
favorable as we could have obtained at
this time under any cireumstances.-St.
Louis Globe Democrat.