The Globe-republican., 1890-09-24
RECIPROCITY.

the Subject OF Observation-Disclosures That
Interest Western People.
BosToN, Sept 1.-THE following self
explanatory letter from Secretary
Blaine was received hero last night
To Colonel w. W. Clapp, editor Boston Jour.
nal. Boston. Mass:
BAH HARBOR Me-. Sept. lk-Ny Dear Sir:
! Am in recent OF your favor asking me II
ca, attend the annual banquet OF the Boot
and ehoe Club Of Boston In October You
add that tho members are en- hearty SYM
pathy with nv views regarding the best
method OF extending American trade, and
| wou d be glad to have M address them" I
r. greet that my engagements will not permit
me to accent the invitation. but you will
please thank the club for the compliment
| they pay me-
I am glad to hear that the members OF the
club are interested in u sy stem of reciprocal
trade with Latin-America. They can do
great good by counteracting a certain phase
OF New England opinion entertained at
home "a we'll as in washington-an opinion
which must regard as in the highest de-
gree unwise and hurtful to New England
interests. New England is to receive In the
new tariff the amplest protection for every
manufacturing industry within her borders,
both great and small. and 1t will, in my
Judgment. be both inexpedfent and inturi-
Gus for Representatives to disregard .
measure which will promote Western inter-
| eats
have lately received a letter from Mr.. J.
+. limbs Of st. Louis. leading representa-
tive of flour interests and president OF the
late convention Of millers at Minneapolis.
J Speaking for the grain AMI flour interests
| OF that great section MIR. ;mbs says thar
''advices OF recent date from Cuba state
that the duties now collected en- American
Hour are ut n higher ate than was first sup
posed to be the case" And he adds: II re-
| SDcCtful.Y submit that the American u,illor
will be unable to retain any part Of The
Cuban flour trade unless Immediate relief is
secured" In view Of these facts is it posi-.
Bile that a protectiOnist Congress can even
think of opening our markets to Cuba's
products free, while allowing a great West.
ern indu stry to be absolutely exclu led from
! her markets by prohiOitOry tariff? With
reciprOei ty the West can equally sell many
| hundred thousand barrels OF flour in tho
markets of Cuoa and Porto Rico together
| with a large mass Of other agricultural
products. Without reciprocity she will be
| driven more and more from these markets."
Giving the fullest protection to all East
ern interests as the proposed Tai iff bill
| does, surely no man Of good Judgment, GER
tainly no protectonist Of wise forecast,
wishes TO expose a Western interest to seri-
| Gus injury. especially when it il manfestly
easy to protect II and promote it-manifest-
| ly easy, because at this vers time the boards
| of trade, the chambers OF commerce and
the public opinion in Havana are demand
| ing reciprocal trade with the United States.
l select Cuba and Porto Rico for examples,
! because In certain quarters it has been said
! that while We might secure reciprocity with
some little countries in South Amer ca, We
| could do nothing with the Spanish islands
| Let us at least give the Spanish islands au
| opportunity to speak for themselves.
| Certain wise men ask: 'IIow can We sep
farm products in south America when thu
same things are produced there?" Cereals
are undoubtedly grown in the southernmosi
! portions of south America, but the wiss
men Will remember that cereals and sugar
| do not grow in the same soil, or that the
sugar countries of South and Centeni Amer.
! lea and the West India islands contain a..
| 00OG of people who import the largest part
II their breadstufs. Indeed, the largest
! part of the sugar product of Latin America
| is at our doors and We can greatly enlarge
our exchanges there il Congress will give
US the opportunity for reciprocal trade.
| Another cias, OF serve that they want time
! to study the system To this i IN ght reply
| that the best method of studying II system Is
| to observe its practical workings. While
studying in the abstract and refusing to take
| some Object lessons these gentlemen pro-
| pose To open our market to Latin America
| products free of all charges. without asking
! Latin America to give US In turn some free
| dom in their markets. The object lesson
| Immediately before US Is the treatment OF
sugar questions. Shall We make Latin
America n gilt of that trade? When We have
studied that lesson we shall be prepared for
! the second.
The worst proposit on Of all Is put forth by
| those who say: LET put sugar On the
| free list now and next year we Will take up
the subject Of reciprocity" II understand
| their logic it Is to make sugar free this year
| without condition and neg. year to ask
I oh, xr-; 4 Il Ay,,,x
us reciprocal trade. Holding the complete
| vantage ground themselves, the proposed
policy transfers the vantage ground to
! Spain. Instead Of granting favor to Spain
| to day, are to ask her for a favor to- NOR
| row. those who take this ground belong &c
tina, elias, OF careful guardians of property
who prepare IA very strong iCck for the
| stable after the horse is gone.
lido not mean In any thing l have said to
imply that ciprocity Is only IA Western In.
| terest. As remarked in u note to Senator
| Frye, it will prove beneficial and profitable
both to the farm and the shop. What, for
| instance could be more natural or more Just
| than that giving a free market in the United
| States to hides from the Argentine Republic,
we should ask the Argentine Republic to
| Civ. US a better market than we now have
| for the product of leather from the United
! states. The many forms in which our bust
ness interests will be promoted by reciprOc-
| tiy can not DE- known until the active COM
mercial men OF the United States shall have
| developed those forms by investigation and
| experience We shall not realize the full
| benefit OF the policy in a day or year. but
| shall We therefore throw away countless
| millions of trade. in addition to the sixty
| millions we have already thrown away. and
| then iynOrantly declare without trial that
| "the system won't work"
| Finally, there Is one fact that should have
| great weight with protec;ionists. Every
| free trader in the Senate voted against the
| reciprocity proposition Tn; free trade
papers throughout the country are showing
| determined hostility to 1t. 1t /, evident
| that the free trade Senators and the free
trade papers have a specific reason for their
course. they know and feel that with a sys-
tenn of reciprocity established and growing
their policy of free trade would receive
most serious blow. The protet zionist who
opposes ecirrocity in the form in which il
Is now presented knocks away one OF the
! strongest supports OF his system. The en-
actment of reciprocity is the safeguard OF
protection. The defeat OF reciprocity is the
opportunity of free trade Yours very re-
specially, JAMES u. tLAINE-
banquet to Ohcers.
STOCKHOLM, Sept IA dinner was