Flour shipped from the Mississippi River
to Havana can pass by the very entrance to the city on its way to a
port in Spain, there pay a duty fixed upon articles to be reexported,
transferred to a Spanish vessel and brought back almost to the point of
starting, paying a second duty, and still leave a profit over what would
be received by direct shipment. All that is produced in Cuba could be
produced in Santo Domingo. Being a part of the United States, commerce
between the island and mainland would be free. There would be no export
duties on her shipments nor import duties on those coming here. There
would be no import duties upon the supplies, machinery, etc., going
from the States. The effect that would have been produced upon Cuban
commerce, with these advantages to a rival, is observable at a glance.
The Cuban question would have been settled long ago in favor of "free
Cuba." Hundreds of American vessels would now be advantageously used in
transporting the valuable woods and other products of the soil of the
island to a market and in carrying supplies and emigrants to it. The
island is but sparsely settled, while it has an area sufficient for the
profitable employment of several millions of people.
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