The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-12-31

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The discrimination against Germany.
In the Haveneyer bill. bids fair to re-
suit seriously. II has already had the
effect 10 practically inhiblt the export
OF meat to that ration. and las caused
a prohIbitory import duty TO be placed
upon cotton seed oil and other IMPORT
articles that enter largely into our
trade with Germany The president re-
commended In his message the amend
nlent of the tariff law, by striking out
the Lilo OF cent per pound discrlm-
NATIVE duiy, but there Is little lIkek-
hood that 1t will be done, as it is
claimed that consideration Of the mat
ter will open up again an interminable
tariff discussion.
The Western cattle men are organ
lied and at war with the sugar trust,
and arc trying to secure the repeal Of
the obnoxious clause which has in
duced retaiiasory measures by Ger
many. But IL a bin should be intro
duced TO that effect. it would be
promptly amended by the Louisiana
senators by adding provision fer pay
ment Of sugar bountie5 for this year.
This would open the door for all sorts
OF amendments with the very palpabie
result that In the end nothing would
be accomplished.
The administration stands In very
bad light with respect to this matter
While the bill was under discussion last
summer the attention. OK Secretary
Gresham was directed to the fact that
it confiicted with the treaty between
the United States and Germany. Yet
the obnoxious provision was sent TO
the senate by Secretary Carlisle, in his
own handwriting. in face of this knowi-
edge. possessed both by MIR. Gresham.
and as matter of course, by his SUI
perior, the president. The excuse given
by Mr.. Gresham for allowing the bill
90 pass both the senate and house with
out calling attention to the treaty vio-
Iation embodied therein is that con-
gross was stampeded and 1t would have
been useless to interfere.
Then the president must have also
been stampeded. for he permitted the
bin to become a law. when by exercise
of the veto power he might have pre-
vented the infraction of a solemn
treaty. and the great injustice done not
only to a friendly commercial nation,
but to valuable domestic interests,
which are now suffering from eonse-
quent and justifiable measures of re-
prisai instituted by Germany. The add
ninistration is just as much at fault
as congress. and the repentance man.
ifcsted by the president in asking re-
peal of the obnoxious clause In the
tarim law comes very late and suggests
suspicious of insincerity. In short, the
sugar trust Influence appears predom-
inant as well with the administration
as I'm congress-,
Recently Secretary Gresham has
reused himself and seems more fully TO
realize the gravity OF the offensa
against national faith, which he tacitly
permitted TO be perpetrated. On the
18th day of this month he prepared an
opinion for the president, to the effect
that the one-tenth differentlal against
German beet root sugar Is not only a
violation Of the treaty with Germany,
but that, according to the precedents es-
tablished ny the United States itself.
II would be possible for Germany 10
recover from this government the
amount OF whatever duty may be paid
under the one-tcnth clause on imports
from that country. In that opinion.
which by The way. has not been
printed. air. Gresham stated that the
United States under like circumstances
had demanded and collected from Great
Britain. duties which were collected
by that country on rice imported from
the United States. Taken altogether
the tariff reform OF the party in power
is "a spectacle which must excite won
der but hardly admiration. It's nra-
grcSs through congress was a cyclic
rama of corruption. its subsequent re-
Suits are series Of failures ana in
justice.