Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1890-09-06
BLAINE SPEAKS.
One of the Highest Duties L. to Enlarge
the Area Of Foreign Trrde-We Pro-
duce More Than We Need for
Home Consumption.
Our Trade With All, Save on This Conti-
nent, Shows a Balance in Our
Favor; While 1t Has Been
Given Away.

VAUDEVILLE, MF.-James 6. Blaine spoke
at mass meeting here. In regard to the ma
tional question he SAID: I wish TO declare
the opinion that the United States has
reached point where one of the highest
duties is to enlarge the area of its foreign
trade. Under the benefcent policy of pro-
lection we have developed volume of man
ufactures which, in many departments,
oyerruns the demands of the home market.
In the field of agriculture. with the immense
propulsion given it by agricultural imple-
ments, We can do far more than produce
breadstuffs and provisions for our own peo-
pie. Nor would it be an ambitious destiny
for so great country as ours to manufacture
only what we can consume or 70 produce
only what we can eat. We are already, in
many fabrics, and In many products, far
beyond that, and our great demand is ex.
pansion. I mean expansion of trade with
countries where we can find profitable ex-
changes.
For nearly thirty years now the United
States has had the great advantage of a pro-
tective tariff, by far the longest unbroken
period that its industrial policy has been in
force since the federal government was or
ganized. Happily the great majority of our
people, without strict regard to party lines,
believe that the results to the American peo-
pie from the protective policy has been in
calculably benefcent, aggregating in quar-
ter of q century of national and individual
wealth beyond anything dreamed of before
in the history of the world.
1 Without protection the United States would
have been poor indeed after the ravages of the
war from 1851 to 1866. With psotection every
section has fourished and prospered, grown
and gained. Even where revenue duties
have been laid with no expectation of devel-
oping industries there have, in many in
stances, been great financial and industrial
results. The heavy duty on silk was levied
primarily, not for protection, but simply to
secure large revenue from one of the luxuries
of the rich, but as q consequence of the duty
the silk industry has increased so rapidly
that it constitutes one of tho leading fabrics
of New Jersey, one of the largest manufac-
turing states of the union. / could readily
advance other illustrations to the same effect.
In 1889 our exports to all the world except
Cuba and the American countries south of
us were $65S, 000, 900, and ur imports from the
same we're $529, 100000, being q balance of
gain to us of S129, 100000. But our gross i'm
ports exceed our gross exports by $13, 600, 000
having lost to Cuba $41, 900, 600; to Brazil,
$50, 90, 900; to Mexico, SIC, 600 900. To sum it
all up, our imports from countries south of
us, both insular and continental, on this
hemisphere, were $216, 0O0, 900; our export
to them were S74.000,000. The balance
against us in our trade with those countries
is $64 ,0O0, 900, exceeding our gains from all
the rest of the world by S23, 100000.
Our great mistake was made when we be-
gan to repeal war duties on SO large an
amount of imports. Duty repealed was
favor and an advantage to exporting coun-
tries, and we have asked nothing in return.
Instead of this course, which must say was
one of carelessness and wastefulness by both
political parties. every repeal of duty should
have been prec eded by most thorough in
vestigation, and whenever it was found prac-
ticable to export anything from the United
States, and thus establish reciprocity of trade,
it should have been done.
We may enter into reciprocity with one
nation because we find advantage in it. We
may decline to enter into reciprocity with
another nation, because we see no advan-
tage in it. Reciprocity is simply policy of
circumstance to be determined favorably or
adversely according as its operation may make
or lose for US. To say that because we enter
into reciprocal relations With one country on
one thing We must enter into reciprocal rela-
lions with all countries on all things, is, to my
mind, IA absurd as to say that if buy
horse to-day / must necessarily buy drove
of horses tomorrow. All the objections of
that kind are, l am sure, unfounded and will
not stand the test of argument or practical
test.