Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-12-27
SPAIN rs STUBBORN.
Uncle Sam Likely to Begin Re.
taliation Soon.
CLEVELAND ASKS FOR THE FIGURES

Upon Which to Base . Proclamation That
Is Expected to Change the State Of
Thine.-A Clause Of the Old morrill, Tar
10 Law To He Utilized Instead Of the Act
Of lS0O-Sitastion as 20 the Currency
BN.
WASHINGTON, Dec. e7.-The Spanish
tariff question is the one that is attract
ing most attention here during the holt
day week and it appears that unless Spain
blacks water" very soon tho threatened
proclamation Of retaliation will be issued.
But the proclamation will impose dis.
eliminating flag duties" instead Of taking
the course supposed to be authorized by
the act OF 1880. These discriminating
duties will be imposed on Spanish, Cuban
and Porto Rican imports into the United
States. The intimation Of this purpose
on the part of the president is distinctly
conveyed in a request received by the
treasury department from the department
Of state to furnish it with detailed infor-
nation as to the amount of such imports
and list Of the vessels carrying the Span
ish flag which trade with our ports
Go Rack to the Old Morrill, Tariff.
1t was the original intention Of the state
department to have recourse to the power
of prohibition of Spanish trade conveyed
by the act of 1880, but as this power has
never been exercised, and as 1t probably
has been seemed best to follow in the line
OF precedent, it is quite clear that the
department has fallen back upon section
42..S Of the revised statutes. a paragraph
Of the old Morrill, tariff act, which still
stands on the statute books, imposes a
duty Of 10 per cent. in addition to all other
duties upon goods brought into the United
States in ships of foreign countries unless
they are expressly relieved from the addi-
tional duty by treaty. These are
known as discriminating Gag du'
tics" Section 422S above referred
TO authorizes the president to sus
pend the benefits conferred by the discrim.
mating flag statute on being satisfied that
any country is discriminating against the
United States IN the matter of trade.
Screws Put to Spain Once Before.
| 1t is singular fact that the Only coun.
try which has so far felt the force of this
provision VI law is the very one against
which it is he again used. In 1856 oul
relations y N Spain were SO strained that
Prcsidon, U lev and issued proclamation
rcciting thnt pain had failed to carry out
the first - Gle Of the commercial agree
menf ., .. Madrid Feb H. 1884, which
stipu sd that the differcntial flag dutie:
should be removed at once from the Unit
ed States products entering Cuba and
Porto Rico.
And She PROMPTLY SClimbed Down."
Being satisfied that higher and discrim
mating duties had been imposed he there
fore revoked the suspension of the dis
eliminating customs duties imposed in
the ports Of the United States upon Gu
ban and Porto Rican products coming
under the Spanish flag. The effect of thi.
action by the president was almost in
Simultaneous. for in fourteen days there
after he issued another proclamation stat
ing that by an agreement entered into
that day lOct. y, 1856 Spain had re
moved.the source of our complaint and b,
again restored her to treatment under tn,
favored nation clauses of our treaties.