The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-12-28
THE SNARL with SPAIN
Cuba May be Permitted to Make q
!. New Tariff Agreement.
NECESSITY FOE PROMPT ACTION.
Importers Declare That the Action of the
Spanish Government Has Reduced tho
EXPORTS of Our Merchants to That Coun-
try Fully Fifty Fer Cent.

Exports of Our Merchants TO That Coun-
try Fully Fifty Fer Cent.
WASHINGTON, Dec 2e.-The government
Of Spain, in an earnest desire to avert the
threatened tariff warfare between Cuba
and the United States, has under serious
and favorable consideration tho cession to
Cuba Of the privilege of arranging her own
revenue budget, ,.including tariffs with the
United States. This Cuban budget is to
be subject to the approval of Spain. The
negotiations now progressing ut Madrid
are partly on these lines, but the state de-
partment authorities arc proceeding,
nevertheless, with their retallatory plans,
as they do not believe Spain's concessions
to Cuba can be carried out md made ben
eficlal to us for some months to come. The
Significance OF the matter in its CONNER
cial and political aspects Is fully realized.
1t Is said that Spain will be careful not
to rclinquish her sovereignty over the
Island, nor to permit this to become the
first step toward Cuban Independence.
For that reason the contemplated priyi-
lege will not include home rule. There
will be no Cuban parliament, with indie
pendent authority to make laws, similar
60 Canada's colonial system under Great
Britain. On the contrary, the general
purpose lis to give Cuba advisory powers.
Her local officials would take up the eco
nomic necessities of the island, estimate
the needed revenue from tariff duties, and
advise the Spanish government of duties
that should be levied, and of other meas
ures which ought to be done In order to So
euro the best results for the island.
While Spain would thus maintain com.
plete sovereignty over Cuba, both com
mercial AMI political 1t Is suggested that
tho home government would, as n rule,
approve Guba's revenue budget with the
United States. In the present tension be-
tween Spain and the United States the
Cubans are solicitious Of retaining their
American market for sugar. and 1t is
urged that for this reason the local of
hcials undoubtedly would advise lower
ing Of tariff duties against the United
States, and it is believed Spain's approval
would follow almost certainly, her ap-
proyal in reality being largely a formality
designed to show her purpose Of retaining
sovereignty over the island.
While it Is recognized in official circles
here that this change doubtless would be
beneficial to the United States, 1t Is feared
that such extensive changes in the rela-
tions between Spain and Cuba cannot be
made within reasonable time, aud that
before the United States can thus secure
reduction of tariffs our trade with Cuba
and Porto Rico will be comparatively in
iured.
The great Importing houses Of tho At
lantio cities are clamoring ut tbe doors Of
the state department and threaten to ep-
peal to congress for some speedy action to
protect their business. They report that
at present the United States Is losing a
trade of 100000 barrels of -four per annum,
all our commerce in machinery, formerly
purchased by the Cuban's exclusively in
the United States, all Of the hardware and
large proportion of tho potato trade, q
very important part of our exports to the
West indies. The total reduction in our
exports to Cuba for the year since the
iapso Of the reciprocity agreement will
amount to not less than 90 per cent A
detailed statement of the exports to Cuba
during the months of September, October
and November last year MS compared with
the same months in this year makes the
shrinkage very plain.
All the arguments OF the Spanish gov
ernment In extenuation of its action In
thus increasing the duties have been bnsed
on tho contention that it was an inevitable
sequence of the repeal Of the reciprocity
agreement by our tariff act, and that the
effect of this was to exclude the United
States from the benefits of the minimum
tariff, no matter what the disposition of
She Spanish government may have been
In fact, that 1t was the result of our own
act
But at the department of state 1t Is said
that the reciprocity agreement had nothing
TO do with the cause. Seven years before
the signature of that agreement the United
AL H.
duties upon Spanish commerce on proof
that the Spanish government had done
the same for our commerce, and while our
goyernmentwas perfectly willing to adopt
renewal of the relations that existed i'm
mediately before the contamination Of the
reciprocity agreement under the Mckinley
act, 1t was entirely unwilling to recur to
the state of affairs that prevailed seven
years before that time, or mt least IL Spain
insisted upon doing 80 then the United
States would be Obliged to restore the
equilibrium by reimposing the diserim-
mating flag duties Indeed, ii is hold that
the president has no discretion under the
law, but must reiinpose these duties as
soon as he is satisfied that the Spanish
government La discriminating against our
commerce.
Franco Is by no means disposed to ao-
oept the situation her sugar In placed In by
the sugar duty, and now there are strong
intimations that the new Austrian minis.
ter who has not yet even presented his
credentials to the president, is charged to
begin an attack upon this same sugar
duty almost Immediately, and II conces.
sions cannot be secured it Is expected that
Austro. Hungary probably will follow the
example of Germany in rctallating upon
the United States.
Murdered by Indian Marauders.
GuAYAMAs, Mex, Dec. 2S-Another
crime has been committed by band of
marauding Yaqui Indians in the hevalley of
the riyor of that name, In the western por-
ttOn of tho state They yjsited tho rnpoh