The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-09-10
National Reciprocity.


National Reciprocity
II is Impossible, from The nature of things. that
acts of reciprocity between nations can operate
with exact equality in their and their condi.
tons For The reason that each party is tempted 10
oyerrate lis possessed advantages. and proper
,ona.ey deprecatc the advantages offered, the difi-
Guilty of coming to any satisfactory terms is sutIi-
GENTLY obvious In glancng over the reciprocal
ures which from time 10 time have been adopted by
the European States, cannot avoid being impressed
with the inequality Of the advantages thus formally dis
buted, well the strange character OF the results
an inequality that, not very obvious at the FIRST,
proves itself in changed commercial relations Aus.
ra, whose commercial policy has been largely modi
fed the las, few years. may be shown TO have lost more
than any other country through want OF we-advised
system OF reciprocity This system Is by no means OF
modern date lis science was developed as completely in
ancient exchanges aud in the modes OF barter adopted
by Asatic nations, well as in modern commercial
treaties. For want OF il, Austria. aiming at an econom
cal regime has gained the opposite of wha. she sought.
Until OF late years. her general prohibitions and resrc-
tons, with the ncessant aud -judged policy Of forcing
manufacturing Industry. for The hasy development
of which the natural foundations were no, pre-
viously laid. her adding 10 tis the neglect Of those
various agricultural and mining treasures. with
which. through the length and breadth of her terri
tory, she 10 abundan,y stored. have rendered any
grea, advance imprac,icabe. Reciprocity has come
10 her aid, and ireer and holder favor and
strengthen her commercial position by enlarsing the
sources Of her wealth. We include, under the reci
procity such an ac that by Fance lis reduction OF
dues on cot,ons in order favor aud arac! the entire
transit trade Of Switzerland. and onah It's territory. in
place OF lis passing, formerly, through Rotterdam and
Antwerp by the Rhine for this act. though the sab
iect Of any formal agreement had in view correspond
ing or reciprocal in the change produced the
course of commerce. The result of such an act. deter.
mines edecually lis character. Thus, in the instance
quoted, we find that the iwen,y-one million pounds Of
cotton re exported to Holland and Belgium in 1897 had
decreased in 1910 TO little than twelve mons-a
result ascrbabIe to the and TO be ssceaned
from the returns in detail OF the Rhine navigation. How
different has been the of Switzerland from that OF
Austria, The latter, conscious that by her position
she must surrender commercially discretion, took re-.
venge by shutting herself from foreign COMPETE
ton forgeiful that, in The support Of manufac-
turers and capitalists she perpetualing the mic
cradle fare the low wages, the TOLL unrrmiiting and
uncompensa,ed. OF the operative classes. Swizer-
land, on all sides surrounded by States holding The
gates OF ingress and egress and, unlike Austria, sub
isct 10 such political might be Dictated has yet
ourased aud sough, the frees, xion, and
hibed no alarm the bodies, competition. The diver
SIZED direction which labor may ,ake-;he fact OF the
main gains arising from trade outside the confines OF the
producing ictrory-has discouraged. meanwhile, the
idea the desire Of engaging longer IN manufacture
than when its product produced cheaper and better
elsewhere. Russia has engaged. 10 considerable
extent, IN cotton manufactures, and under much The
same restrictions those formerly adopted by Austria
il remains be with what slccess The view
with which we s,ar,ed-the necessaled unequal opera
ton OF stated of reciprocity between nalions-inds
its illustration in the practical operation OF the treaties
entered into by England in 1879 in which year that
country may be said 10 have formally nsugurated the
reciprocity system under the continental States OF Eu
rope. more especially with Prussia, DENIM ark Norway,
and Sweden These treaties had no, only in view the
greater extension OF Eoglands commercial intercourse
with and exports 10 them, but the enlargement OF iis
shipping; OF which three objects thereby
gained-Engands intercourse having declined the
ports TO them having been reiuced TO a compare
live tri,. and their shipping having multiplied
fvc-oll through the freedom and encouragement al
fordeJ The Baltic powers, with all the materials for
ship-bulding, built cheaper-ships which were
admitted TO English ports on the same terms thai
those powers admitted English vessels. BIT the British
statesmen having though, OF siipulsns that iron
and cotton goods exported should be admitted by them
the terms theirs admitted, the Consequence
was the league, which arrayed six and
twenty millions Of Germans against the manufactures
OF that country. and led to the establishment, OF ad va.
loren import duties, varying from forty TO fifty per
With all Engand's treaties Of reciprocity, the quarters in
which its tonnage has increased will be found 10 be
chiefly it's colonies That treaties Of reciprocity,
from the diverse character oil the subecs OF treaty. and
the conditions TO which these subject. cannot op
crate equally, affords no adverse Argument The errors
committed in pss, time BY European States in their
restriction encouragement, or those still
perpetuaed from too limited commercial experience on
the part of Statesmen. exis, only many guides for
our national action advising that of
trade Of all other compensaons. the bes, for any con
cessions may choose 10 make.
Who EXPECTATIONS IN REGARD TO NAIsr The Sa-
lem Register, od-ashioned federal paper. en,ersns
hopes OF whix administration in Maine. growing on,