The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1895-01-04
Tariff War With Spain.


Unless the Spanish government within
very short time indicates its purpose to re.
move the restrictions now placed on Ameri-
can commerc. with the Spanish West Indies
by the imposition OF the maximum tariff on
American commodities, IL Is probable the
president will issu. proclamation imposing
discriminating flag duties" upon Spanish.
Cuba and Porto Rico imports into the Unit
ed States. The intimation OF this purpose
on the part Of the president Is distinctly con.
veyed In q request received by the treasury
d.partnent from The department of state to
furnish X with de,ailtd information rs to
the amour, Of such imports and list OF
vessels carrying the Spanish flag which
.rade with our poris. ltw the original
intention OF tho stae department 10 have
recourse to che power of prohibition o.
Spanish trade conveyed by the act Of 1899.
but as this power has meyer been exercised
ard as It probably has been deemed bes. to
follow in the line of precedent. L. is quite
clear that the department, has fallen back
upen section 4aas OF the revised i,atutes.
A paragraph OF the old Mouift tariff ac:,
which still stands on the statute books, i'm
poses da:y # 10 per cent In addition to
ali other duties upon gcods b.ough, into the
United STATE, in ships of foreign countries,
unless .neY are expressly relieved from the
additional duty by treaty. These ar. known
as ''discrininating d,g duties" section 4,.
aaS. above referred TO. authorizing the
president to suspend the benefits conferred
by the discriminating flag" statute on be.
ing satisfied that any country Is discfiminat-
ing against the uaitea States 10 the matter
of trade. II isa Singular iaet the only
country which has so Tar felt the force OF
this Ptovisioa OF the law Is tie very one
against which il Is TO be again used. In
1886 our relations with Spain we,e SO
strained that President Cleveland Issued q
proclamation recitine that Spain had failed
to carry out the first article Of the agree
lment signed at Madrid, Feb IS. 1854, which
stipulated that the difisrensisl flag duiie,
should be removed at once iroin the Unit d
States products entering Caea and PsrtS
Rico.
4 Being satisfied that higher and discrim-
mating duties had been imposed he there
fore revoked tie suspension Of the discrim-
mating customs duties imposed in the port
! Of the United States upon Cuban and Por
, 10 Rican products coming under The Span
| Ism asg. The effect of this action by ,h'
president wac Amos, inSsntaneons. for il
: Ii days thereafter be issued another pro
elamatiOn stating that by an agreemen
entered into that day. Oct q, 1885. Spa:;
. had removed The source of our complain
} and he consequently again restored her Il
| treatment under the favored nation claus
| Of our treaties.
Treasury officials =; The request of tb
state department are engaged in collecting
statistics showing the volume Of the trad
that would be affected by repetition Of hi
action in 1886 by the president Ii ap
pears that the Spanish colonies would Sc
much the worst Of it. The labels sho,
that during the fiscal year ended June 8
last Cuba alone exported 10 the Uni,e'
S'a,cs goods Of the aggrsgaiive value G
s75, ,67s. .26i and took from Us goods TO th
amount Of only sis, SIS. .237. Porto Rie
{ sent rs in the same time goods valued a
) s.. Is, ,6S4 and received Ia return goods b
the amour, of 50. 7C5. GAG. With the direc
trade xilh Spain the case was reversed. 70
$ exports 10 that country were els. l04 .076
As against imports amounting 20 o. .25S,
SIS. Tne tariff differences between Spsi
and the United States are being waiche
with keen Interest BY other sugar proine:nl
countries, particularly Hawaii and Brazil
as ,be execution of Secretary Gresham
threat 10 discriminate against Cuban pro
Q dues will create heavy demand for ra'
sugar. Eow orcugh, almost exciusivei
from Cuba Mr. Hastings. the charg d al
fairs of the Hawaiian legation, is an In
) teres,ei observer ci the Spanish negctia
'ions- The Hawaiian sugar planters bar
c ing been giving close attention to Cuba Q
Z 'a'e, many Of them visiting the isIand an
studying the cuban processes Of maxim
? sugar. One Of them wrote Mr. Hassipg
recently of the antiquated methods pre-
yaiiing and other HawaiIans and planter
pointed out to him that the Cubans &c
Dat 25 tons Of cane and t~o tons OF scius
sugar TO the acre.
The Hawaiians thought that dcuble thi
should be obtained and tina, Cuban plan
: ,ations could not exist il Gu, OF from ih
United States market. Being dependeu
ca this country for their grea: produC
Hawaii would expect 10 benefit il cub
were shut out. The Hawaiiaus erpes
i soon to conclude European treaties. Min
. ister Thurston has written Mr. Hasiipg
= briefly from Lisbon to the effec. that hi
e trip to Spain Is proving entirely satisfact
= CRY. The minister has visited many Eu
ropean countries far the purpose of indsc
r ing them 10 renew their treaties Of com
s merce and amity With the uew repub ic {
the Pacific. He has a'so sought to m ak
: arrangements for immigration TO Hawai-
e OF the better classes Of the laborers. Whit
4 ne gives no exact details, the tenor of b
s letters indicies success. He will return L
: Washington about Jan Is.