Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-12-07
RECIPROCITY NOT FREE TRADE

The Philadelphia Press objects to in
GLIDING England and France in the re-
ciprocity scheme:
Simply because England and France make
wha. we have to sell and the countries OF Span
j: h America do not. This is ALL It is enough.
They are our direct rivals in the field Of manu-
our nearest neighbors are not. En-
gland and France" rival US in lion and steel, in
copper and lead in cotton and wool, in silk and
linen. What they make we make. They use
up twice as much cotton in a year, twice as
much wool, over three times as much silk,
make tenth more iron, raise three times as
much COAL and in every market IN the word,
and in our own, meet us product By. product
with all that is turned out of our factories.
But the Press wholly m;sconceives the
reciprocal idea. 1t does not mean the
opening Of our ports to the free trading
of nations in articles that we produce to
equal advantage. There can be and will
be no reciprocal relation established be-
tween any nations in commerce, except
there is full compensation to each for the
privileges granted by each to the other.
These compensations will be determine d
article by article, not by provision Of
general exchange without condition or re.
striction.
Moreover, refusal to set up reciprocal
exchanges will not prevent these nation:
in the production of things in which they
rival us froRl meeting rs in the markets Of
the Latin States of the Southern Ameri.
can continent, or other markets. South
Americans will certainly buy of the
nations with which they can trade to the
best advantage. Nothing We can do, ex.
cept to do better by them, will prevent
this. Clearly, then, our duty is to con-
serve our export trade by reciprocal agree.
ments into which we can advantageously
enter, since the promotion of exports is
the protection of the industry that pro-
! duces them.
Reciprocity is based upon the truth that
| imports, to some extent at least, must be
paid for with exports, for commerce is
essentially exchange of commodities
Where we buy and pay for all we get with
coin, We do not engage in commerce in a
true sense, for we keep the balance of trade
wholly against Us. Where we can agree
therefore, with any nations to send to them
free of duty articles we produce to the best
advantage, and which they do not produce
to the best advantage, and to receive from
them free of duty articles they produce to
the best advantage, and which we do not,
we establish a reciprocal relation mutually
advantageous and that does not trespass
upon the protective principle, but con-
serves and promotes home industries.
If we take the South American States
into consideration for example, we find
that for the necessities of revenue they
must lay on import duties. They could
not therefore take all our exports free. But
there are some of our products they can
admit free, because they do not produce
them to the best advantage, or not at all;
and the same is true on our side. Hence.
We can establish with them, as Mr.. Blaine
desires, reciprocal exchange. There is, of
course, nothing to prevent them making
precisely a similar arrangement with other
nations. We are therefore brought down
to the simple proposition, in which there
Is not a particle of sentiment, that they
will do as We will, get the best we can
where we can, for the lowest price, with
out impoverishin5 industry or production,
and sell where we can the best we produce
in surplus for the highest price. In doing
so We stimulate home production and con-
serve the interest of consumers also. Were
reciprocity unlimited and without mutual
concession and reservation, it would be
free trade, to which reciprocity as advo-
Gated by Republicans does not look or in
cline.