The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-13

ElIfOtfs Observation-Disclosures Admir-
al settled 1t with Four Words by
CabIe-The Rottenness of Spanish
HuIe-PIunder Is the Ofieial
observation-disclosures UndeveIOped
Riches.
From the New York Sun.
Two years ago. just before the outbreak
Of the last instruction against Spanish
+ rule In the Philippines, the American con-
sui at Manila, Isaac NJ. Elliott of New
York, was recalled by the Cleveland adj
mnistration. and few months later he
was made consul at La Guayra, the port
of Caracas, Venezuela. Dlliotts agrees
sive attitude on matters affecting AmerI-
can commercial interests in the Philip
pines was responsible for his recall. Span
ish officials In the Philippine capital.
alarmed at the growth of American trade
in the islands. and determined to stamp
ii out. were angered by Ellotts vigorous
defense of American rights. Spain asked
for Ellotts recall, trumplng up the charge
that he was aiding the insurgents. The
Cleveland administration, unwilling to Of
fend the Madrid foreign Office, transferr-
ed Consul Elliott from Manila to La
Guayra.
Two months after Consul Elliott set sail
from the Philippine capital the colonial
officials had driven from the islands the
last of the American commercial houses.
This was the house of Warner Blodgett
& Co. Earle w. Blodgett is a williams
nd i, In, ATe.xtr
York. c. 1. Barnes and E. Fl. Warner are
British subjects, but American at heart.
The company was formed in 1887 by clerks
of the defunct house of Peal Hubbell SS
Co, which had been driven to the wall
by Spanish diserimina ton. Despite the
efforts of the colonial officials to force the
new company out of the islands, as they
did the American houses of Russell Stur-
gis and Peal Hubbell 81 Co. and others,
Warner, Blodgett & Co. built up a great
business, the profits of 1895 amounting to
$2S4,000, and the money handled in the cash
department alone amounting to 100000.
Heavy taxes had to be paid by the last
American company into the overlooking
private purses of the corrupt Spanish Off
Gals, and these taxes increased as Ameri-
can sympathy with the Cuban insurgents
increased Spanish hatred of Americans.
Extraordinary fines we're levied. The coll
lectors of customs at Manila receives
three-fourth of the fines he collects for
the government. and 1t is a matter of rec
ord that the customs official who helped
TO drive Americans out of the islands put
away SIS $3.50 into his own pockets in
twenty-five months. The law provides
that an importer must pay fine of 800
for every article listed in an invoice and
not found in the ships cargo, and the
same fine must be paid for every article
no cd in q n he re- roo
Once the American company paid fine of
500 fine because one cobblestone out of
thousands was missing in a cargo.
The most high-handed attempt at rob
berry was made the summer before Consul
Elliott left the Philippines. One Saturday
afternoon in June a customs official called
at the companys Office and handed bin
of 1872, 3S5.15 to Blodgett, saying that II must
be paid within twenty-four hours. Some
smuggled goods had been found in the
suburbs of Manila and the customs collee-
tor concluded he could not make $4,000 in
any easier way than by charging the
Struggled goods against the American
ship Esmeralda- Even had the company
been disposed to pay this fine, the money
could not have been had within twenty
four hours, for the following day was
Sunday. The order, which was from the
Supreme Court, gave notice that If the
fine was not paid the company's property
would be conhscated. Spanish colonial
officials had used this method of destroy
ing the business OF foreigners on more than
one occasion.
Blodgett went at once TO Consul Elliott's
residence, and when he had briefly related
the story of the new Spanish outrage the
two went down to the cable office. Admit
raj Carpenter was then at Yokohama with
the Asiatic squadron. The consul wrote a
short message to the admiral and handed
IL to the operator The message was in
cipher.
Send assistance" 1t read American
interests in peril, Elliott"
Send in English Carpenter" was the
answer received by the consul short time
afterward.
Elliott could not understand why Admit
raj Carpenter wished the message sent In
English, for he knew that the admiral
must understand the cipher. But the con-
sui FASTENED back to the cable office and
wrote out second message in plain Eng
lish An hour later Governor General
Blanco's secretary called al the consulate
and said that Blanco wished TO see the con-
sui at once. Elliott went over to the soy
ernor generars residence. Blanco handed
| him the second message he had left at the
cable office.
Il am astonished, SIR" exclaimed Elliott,
that a consurs message has been held"
II am sorry it had to be DONE" replied
Blanco, but you see we couldn't let that
so. 1t might cause some unpleasantness
between your country and mine.
but no government has right to hold
back consurs message and if this mes
sage is not sent at once, 1 will report the
fact 10 my government"
The consul then produced the bill pre-
scented to the American company by the
customs official and asked by what right
an officer of the government could trump
up such charge. Blanco said that he was
sorry that there was any misunderstanding
between the company and the officials, but
the embargo" was according to law.
having come from the Supreme Court, and
he could do nothing about It,
"Then l shall take the first steamer for
Hong Kong" stoutly replied Consul Ell
liott "and return with the American
squadron to protect American interests"
II win look into the matter more
Thoroughly" said Blanco, after a mo-
ments thought. See me again before
you do anything"
That evening Blanco sent again for the
consul to tell him that the law had been
looked up, and 1t had been found that the