The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-12-28
THE SNARL with SPAN
Cuba May be Permitted to Make a
New Tariff Agreement,
NECESSITY FOR PROMPT ACTION.

Importers Declare That the Action Of the
Spanish Government Has Reduced the
Exports OF Our Merchants to That Coun.
try Fully Fifty Per Cent.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 28-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 the 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 at Madrid
are partly on these lines, but the state de
partment authorities are proceeding,
nevertheless, with their retaliatory plans,
as they do not believe Spain's concessions
to Cuba can be carried out and made ben
etlcial 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 relinquish her sovereignty over the
Island, nor to permit this to become the
first step toward Cuban independence
For that reason the contemplated privt
lege will not include home rule. There
will be no Cuban parliament, with indie
pendent authority to make laws, similar
to Canadas colonial system under Great
Britain On the contrary, the general
purpose is 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 Sc
cure the best results for the island.
While Spain would thus maintain com
plete sovereignty over Cuba, both com
mercial and political, it is suggested that
the home government would as a rule,
approve Cuba'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 it 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-
proval in reality being largely 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, it is feared
| that such extensive changes in the rela-
| tions between Spain and Cuba cannot be
made within a reasonable time and that
before the United States can thus secure n
reduction OF tariffs our trade with Cuba
| and Porto Rico will be comparatively in
| jured
The great importing houses of the At
lantic cities are clamoring at the doors of
| the state department. and threaten to APP
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 Cubans exclusively in
| the United States, all of the hardware and
a large proportion of the potato trade, a
| very important part of our exports to the
| West Indies. The total reduction in our
exports to Cuba for the year since the
! lapse Of the reciprocity agreement will
amount to not less than 80 per cenLl A
| detailed statomen, of the exports to Cuba
| during the month, of September, October
| and November last year as 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 based
on the 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
the Spanish government may have been
| in fact that it was the result of our own
| act.
But at the department of state it is said
| that the reciprocity agreement had nothing
| to do with the cause Seven years before
the signature of that agreement the United
States suspended the discriminating flag
duties upon Spanish commerce on proo1
that the Spanish government had donC
the same for our commerce, and while Oul
goyernmentw perfectly willing to adop
a renewal of the relations that existed i'm
mediately before the consummation of the
reciprocity agreement under the Mckinley
act, it was entirely willing to recur tC
the state of affairs that prevailed sever
years before that time, or at least if Spain
insisted upon doing so then the United
States would be Obliged to restore the
equilibrium by reimposing the discrim
mating flag duties Indeed it is held thai
the president has no discretion under tn,
law, but must reimpose these duties a,
soon as he is satisfied that the Spanisl
government is discriminating against oul
commerce.
France is by no means disposed to ac
cept the situation her sugar is placed in by
the sugar duty, and now there are strong
intimations that the new Austrian minis
ter, who has not yet even presented hi,
credentials to the president, is charged tC
begin an attack upon this same suga
duty almost immediately and if conces
sions cannot be secured it is expected that
Austro Hungary probably will follow til,
example of Germany in retaliating upoi
the United States.
Murdered by Indian Mhrauders.
| GUAYAMAs, Mex, Dec 2S,-Anuthe