The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-02-02

taking place In the West Indian colo.
MICS. These colonies arc large produc.
ers OF sugar and importers Of dry goods
md breadstuns. They. hayc always
done q largo trade with tho United
States, but under tho now Mckinley
tariff they found that their market
for sugar in America was in con.
siderable danger. Tho reciprocity
clause OF tho Mckinley tariff net
gives tho President the power OF
admitting tea, coffee, sugar and hides
FREQ Of duty or ut u largely reduced rate
from countries which oiler similar nd.
vnntages TO tho goods OF tho United
States. Tho latter country concluded u
treaty with Spain under which tho
sugar Of Cuba Is admitted free, and OF
course Barbados, Jamaica, and the
other English Islands found themselves
at M enormous disadvantage. They
did mol, however, sit down idly and Ia
lnent their misfortuncs or s1uabblo.
over no.conll1enco motions, but man.
fully began to fight against the setback
they had received, Their energy has
been rewarded, and through the instru.
mentality OF the British foreign oilico 4.
reciprocity arrangement has boon con
cluded between tho states and the West
Indian Islands, and the sugar OF these
colonies will now DO received on eqttal
terms with that OF Cuba. What tho
islands have promised TO admit FREQ in
return we do not ~ yet know, but mo-
tions having n commercial treaty con-
tanning Il mosL-favorc d-ration clause
with Great Britain can probably insist
upon having their goods admitted OH
equally advantageous terms as those Of
the United States ii IL should be worth
their while to do 30. Tho question
whether tho colonies have the right to
discriminate in this way or not has
never been tested, but there can be
scarcely any doubt that England would
DO obliged to enforce her obligations II
called upon to do 80. ANY such rccipro-
cal arrangement between adjacent
colonies or colonies constituting q
group, as for instance, South Aus
tralia and New South Wales, or South
Australia and Tasmania, could not per-
haps DO interterod with even ii fedora
ton does not takc place, but it Is
certainly moro than doubtful whether
. reciprocity arrangement between dis
tnnt colonies, such for instance as South
Australia and Canada, would not be af-
iccted by the nation-favored clause.
Suppose that an arrangement were
made tomorrow between Queensland
and Canada whereby tho latter country
agreed 10 admit Queensland sugar free
in consideration OF q free market Tor
wheat and lumber would Germany have
4 right to demand that hor beetroot
sugar should also be admitted free?
The commercial treaty enacts that "in
the colonies and foreign possessions the
produce OF the Zollvcroin shall not be
subject to any higher or other import
duties than the produce OF the United
Kingdom OF Great Britain and Ireland,
or any other country, Of like kind"
In this case the question would arise
whether it is consistent with the treaty
to distinguish in favor OF cane US against
beet sugar.
Parliament has gone: about its bust
ness without even discussing this most
important topic. II anything is to be
done it must DO done quickly, for the
treaties expire in February. The British
government confess that thoy nre fully
alive to the ruinous effect that the re-
newal OF these treaties in their present
form may have upon the commerce OF
the colonies, and they have also shown
themselves willing, as is proved by the
case OF the West Indies, to listen to the
Just complaints OF their fellow-subjects
not domiciled in free trade England. It
will be our own fault il we allow the
opportunity, 10 Slip BY. The objections
to the treaties from, u colonial point OF
Wow are numerous and cogent. The
colonies are regarded us countries for
eign to Great Britain, u view OF the re-
lation which is taken in no other mat
ter, as for instance in the postal resula.
tons. Such view oil tho relationship
between the colonies and the
mother country is not taken by any
other country in regard to
its colonies, and ii it is carried out to.
its logical conclusion must tend to the
d~isintegration OF the empire. Again,
while the colonies have the right to.
regulate their own fiscal arrangements,
foreign countries only recognize Great
Britain and look to her to enforce her
treaty obligations, thus causing unnec-
essary friction between England and
the colonies, as is unfortunately ut
present tho case in Newfoundland. 1t
is sincerely to be hoped that We are
mot to be hampercd i'll the future by
the entangiinS commercial alliances OF
free trade England in getting a little
slice OF the good things that are at pres
ent being distributed in Europe and
America. Nor should it be forgotten
that tho success OF reciprocity in the
states will probably add other articles
to the items OF tea, coffee, sugar and
hides already included under the Me-
Kinlcy act, and that = most probable
addition would be wool.
ENGLISH AS SHE'S SPOKE.
Boston Globe.