Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1895-05-22
Our Commercial Interests in Cuba.


this Court will be vacated.
Our Commercial Interests in Cuba.
The N. Y. Journal of Commerce says
that the relations of the United States
to Cuba are peculiar, and would justify
more interference with Spanish rule in
the Antilles than we have ever cared
to undertake. We take practically the
whole of the sugar crop of the island
and the greater part of its tobacco crop,
and Americans alone have shown a dis
position to make something of its iron
deposits. From this country must come
most of the food, implements and ma
chinery which are absolutely essential
in Cuba. The island is only a few
hours steaming from our shore and is a
long voyage from Spain. Yet we have
never made any serious effort to inter
fere with the Spanish policy of shut
ting us out of the Cuban market and
working Cuba for the exclusive profit
of the mother, or step-mother, country.
A Cuban revolution would, in impor-
tant senses, be in our interest and yet
our Government has eXerted itself to
maintain the neutrality laws. If the
body of American people were not
afraid of couple of Cuban Senators
and five or six Cuban Representatives
in Congress, probably Governmental
caution would have been unable to
prevent the annexation of Cuba by a
popular movement. But we have no
appliances for governing provinces, or
foreign dependencies, and a Spanish
American contingent in Congress is not
greatly desired, at present, by most of
our people.
For the privileges of trade we enjoy
ed in Cuba under the reciprocity agree
ment we paid an unreasonable price.
1t Spain cannot prevent disorder in the
immediate vicinity of our jurisdiction.
disorder that is certain sooner or later
to iniuriously affect our commerce, and
if Spain is determined to maintain a
policy of hostility to nation which is
almost the exclusive customer for
Cuban products, it will become seri-
GUS question what the United States,
in justice to its own interests, should
do abont it. If we should waive the
rights of the most favored nation in
Spanish ports we could refused like
rights to Spanish commerce in our
ports, and then make such agreements
regarding sugar with Brazil and Mexi-
co, and other countries favorably stu
ated, as would destroy the main in
dustry of Cuba, and Spain would find
herself compelled to make favorable
terms with the best and almost the
only customer of the Pearl of the
Antilles"
1t would probably not be necessary
for us to go so far as to execute this
programme. Spain knows what the
result would be if we stopped buying
Cuban sugar. We can make arrange
ments that within a very few years
would supply us with an abundance of
cane sugar without buying a pound
from Cuba. IfSpain were made to I'M
derstand what modern commerce
means, and what we are entitled to in
our traffic with Cuba in view of our
enormous purchases from that island,
she would not dare run the risk of our
building up great sugar producing
industry in Brazil.
Had the reciprocity treaty with
Brazil not been followed by similar
arrangement with Cuba, Spain would
have been on her knees to this country
before this. The continent of Europe
is producing quantity of best sugar
that it has difficulty in disposing of; it
pays export bounties to get rid of it.
England has other sources of supply
than the Spanish West Indies. If the
United States stops buying sugar of
Cuba the island is financially ruined,
and Spain cannot afford the luxury of
colonies that she does not make money
out of.
We do not care for the political pos
session of Cuba; she may remain
Spanish or become independent. If
Spain continues her past policy. Ameri
cans would universally rejoice in the
latter. But the commerce of Cuba is
naturally ours, and it is within the
power of our Government to get it by
using purely commercial means of COM
pulsion.
POSTMASTER REMoVED.-Congres
man Turner, of Virginia, succeeded
Thursday morning in having the re-
publican postmaster at Broadway, in
his district, removed and democrat
appointed in his place, and also in OBJ