The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-06-08


at last, that the home market is insufficient Ii I
is equally true that many months OF reciprocity I
reinforced by the short crops OF Europe, and I
by the famine in Russia, have proved wholly 1
unavailable 10 give the pound Of pork, the I
barrel Of -four or the bale of cotton the prices |
they once ordinarily bore.
1t is singular that the treaty making power
in quest of customers for the farm products OF
the United States has confined its search al
most wholly to the tropical or semi-troDical I
countries of the western hemisphere. Even
where these so-called reciprocity treaties have
been made with European governments. they
have related chiefly TO such countries to the
south a. the colonial possessions OF England
and Spain in the West Indies. Where these
arrangements have not concerned mere de-
Tendencies they have been made with the gov
ernments OF South and Central America. tits
not perceived that any very considerable vol
ume OF business in breadstu1s, or farm prod
ucts either, has been or will be transacted with
these far southern countries. A market for
bresdstuffs, a large market such as we need,
only be found where great consum ption ex-
lists, and this only where consumers are npmer-
Gus and needy. These countries OF the Tar
south are not densely populated com
pared with most of our own states, and
az compared with the countries CT Europe they
are very spsrsely peopled. The climate and
soil of these southern regions are by nature
wonderfully adapted to the easy and cheap
sustenance OF their inhabitants. They have
lavish abundance of Knocked food like the
banana and the cocoanut, of easily cooked
viands, such as plantans, yams and sweet po-
totoes, with no winter, no season in which
production is suspended. a constant. untalllng
supply, suited to the wants OF their people.
careful table has been prepared OF farm and
food products exported to one OF the European
nations. collAted with similar exports to all
the countries of South America added to-
gether. This table shows that Great Britain
alone &C nsumes of our farm products export
ed, of all these ten fold, of some twenty-fold,
OF others thirty-fold more than all the South
American countries united. And in some
of such ex ports the data do not exist to make
any comparison. For example. in the article
of dressed beef, a commodity. the expectation
OF which to England has within the last ten
years grown to transactions involving millions
of pounds in bulk, millions OF dollars IN value,
| the whole OF South America does not take one
pound or pay US one dollar. and it is IN this
| same line TO say, what was shown very clearly
| by the honorable senator from Missouri in bis
speech OF the 25th of February last that for
the Eve months after the conclusion of this
| treaty with Brazil the exports of flour, lard,
| bacon and other produce o. the United States
I have decreased. There has been no increase
/ IN any exports except agricultural implements,
which had been free from taxes under the
Brazilian tariff long before the reciprocity
| treaty was concluded. Considering that there
could not be much demand for beef, while
| cattle are yet killed for their hides. nor for
mutton when flock OF 60.0O0 sheep is ac-
| counted a small number, that in these coun-
| tries food abounds in every forest and pastures
are perennial, the notion of creating By treaty
q market there for our great surplus of agricul.
| tural staples, is to say that diplomacy has all
| at once become supernatural In its powers.
! Otherwise this scheme is like engaging In the
business of shipping cork to Barcelona for the
| purpose of building castles in Spain.
The Effect on Agriculture.
Besides this there is an unfailing test of the
effects of any great movement upon the demand
for in the value of, agricultural staples. 1t
Is to be found in the prices Of the same, in the
| open market of the world. Many OF these So
/ force, commercially speaking, now for long
| time. Has there been any appreciable rise in
| the prices Of our corn, cotton, beef, wheat or
pork; have they attained anything like the
prices formerly prevailing under moderate tar
/ III taxation with revenue a basis? I'M
mediately after the conclusion Of the Golden
treaty of reciprocity its effects we're visible,
| well known, everywhere spoken of. Although
| some interests were pleased others piqued
! thereby, the consequences were widespread,
! not latent or unnoticed. In the price lists OF
| Mark Lane upon the corn exchange, in the
large commercial depots of ware-housing and
| of merchandise, dealers became eonversant
| with the terms and details of that treaty. The
! things effected by il were known as treaty
! goods" treaty produce" and the buying and
| frequently compared with former prices. Now
| what announcement or notice or mercantile
comments have been made in the worlds trade
! centers of the commercial treaties of this ad-
| ministration? / am not speaking OF official
archives or gazettes. OF course in these the
existence of the treaties is recorded, and in the
! republican newspapers in this country which
contain daily or weekly Mandatory paragraphs.
| But | speak Of that impartial, indifferent and
| thoroughly independent commercial press en-
| in he oil nrio liata rat
tables of the great markets on either side OF the
Atlantic. When / say that nothing has been
said, and no kind of notice has been taken OF
this series OF treaties upon this subject there is
silence as dead and unbroken as that which
befell the theme of southern outrages" after
the defeat of the force bill
The honorable secretary OF state has declared
that the field of our commercial development
and progress lies south of US; also that ihi,
field is TO bring the richest returns, and Its
culture will at the same time confer incaloula
BILE benefits upon our sister republics. 1t il
worthy of observation that three of these
southern republics to whom reciprocity hal
been rendered have deoliued the same. Ii MAJ
be also worth the while to notice what three
governments these are. They Hayti, Ven
ezuela and Colombia. Hsyti is known as ar
Afro-American republic. All its rulers and th'
great majority OF its people ore negroes. Many
well-meaning citizens of the United States
! phildnthropists not without influence with The
powers that be, have continued to regard Hayt
with the warmest feelings of interest anC
friendship. they have imagined that thu
United States had by its continued good Offices
established at least the right and status of al
equitable proteotorate over Hayti But th
ward of ours, as nourished, nurtured anC
beloved, will not take from our hands q morse
of reciprocity. Coffee is the principle produc
and export of this country. but they have tolC
us very plainly I'VE care not whether you sd
NIT our coffee free into the United States, o.
whether you admit il at all. We will have moth
ing to do with your project for an internationa
tariff" Another OF these non-reciproca
countries is VeneZuels, a large country geo
graphically, a republic consisting Of severa