Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1899-03-09
SAGASTA RESIGNS.
Spanish Premier Quits Omce-Proba-
bic Effect Of Spain's Refusing 10
Ratify the Peace Treaty.


Madrid March 2.-Senor Sagasta has
handed the resignation of the ministry
to the queen regent The cabinet cri-
Sis is expected to last for several days,
as 1t will be necessary for the queen
regent to consult with the presidents
OF the chambers and other political
leaders.
Washington, March 2.-The resigna-
tion of the Sagasta cabinet, state de-
partment officials say, does not neces-
sarily involve the failure of the peace
treaty. They believe that the succeed
ing cabinet will find means to forward
the treaty to the point of ratification,
and that the opposition to the govern
ment will express itself as content with
forcing the cabinet to resign The rea-
son for this belief is that the Spanish
government has much more to lose by
the failure of the treaty of Paris than
has the United States.
1t is a question whether our govern
ment would not profit by the loss of
the treaty, provided this loss could be
charged to the action of the Spanish
government, as would be the case if the
cortes refused to ratify it. The United
'''fA''H H'llI'l lfluSt ~ SulItllAtI lIlt
Philippines and on the other hand
would be relieved from the treaty obi
CATION to pay the Spanish government
$50, 100000 on account of the ccssion of
the islands. Cuba would retain her
present status and all that would be
lacking would be a recognition by the
Spanish government of the legality of
that status. That lack would not be of
serious moment, Judging from the fact
that the Spanish-American republics
managed to get along without trouble
for quarter of century after the
revolutionists therein had driven the
last of the Spanish troops out of the
country, without the formal admission
by Spain that they had achieved their
Independence.
As a legal fiction the two countries
would be still at war. This state of
affairs, though embarrassing in some
respects. would not prevent trade be-
tween the United States and Spain.
Trade in fact has been resumed al
ready and although the United States
is under the necessity of paying larger
duties upon imports into Spain than
countries favored with the minimum
tariffs. still the Spaniards are glad to
buy our wheat, flour and cotton and
other great staples and to pay the ad-
ditional duties.
Probably the worst that can happen
will be a delay in the exchange of rati-
tications. These should be exchanged
on or before June 10, which date is six
months from the date of signature of
the treaty in Paris. Should the time
limit expire through the internal trou-
bles in Spain without the exchange
having been made. it is still possible
for the United States and Spain to ar
range through the French government,
which has been serving all along as an
in their relations, for an
exchange on a later date, without dis |
turbing The articles of the treaty at |
other points.
Should the Spanish government un-
dertake, however, to reopen the nego-
tiatiOns in the effort to secure another |
treaty more favorable in terms, and |
as to the cession of the Phil |
ippines. than the pending treaty, it will |
be doomed to disappointment, for it is
said here that if these existing terms |
are withdrawn those to follow will be |
even harder for Spain to bear.