Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-09-17
RECIPROCITY.
Secretary Blaine Writes Another Let
ter on His Pet Scheme.
The Enactment Of Reciprocity the Safeguard
Of Protection; Its Defeat, the 0ppor-
tunity of Free Trade.

BAR HARBoR, me-, Sept. IS, 1890.
Col. WV. Clapp, ed itor of the Boston journal,
Boston.
My DEAR SRI am in receipt of your favor
asking me if I can attend the annual banquet of
the boot and shoe club of Bos-
ton in October. You add that
the members are in hearty sympathy with
tending American trade and would be glad
to have me address them. L re-
gret my engagements will not permit
me to accept the invitation, but you will pleese
I ank the C NIB for the compliment.
am glad to hear the members Of the club are
interested in system of reciprocal trade with
Latin America. / have lately received letter
from Mr. j, +. limbs of st. Louis, q leading
REPRESENT TIVE OF THE FLOUR INTEREST,
and president of The late convention of millers
at Minneapolis. Speaking of The grain and
limbs says that advices of recent date from Cuba
state the duties now collected on American
at first supposed to be the case, and he adds:
~ respectfully submit that the American miller
will be unable to retain any part of the Cuban
trade unless immediate relief is secured"
In view of the facts is it possible that
protectionist congress can even
think OF opening our market to Cuba's products
freee while
WHILE THE GREAT WESTERN INTEREST
is absolutely excluded from her market by pro-
hibitory tariff? With recipro city the West can
annually sell many hundred thousand barrels Of
-four in the near markets of Cuba and Porto
Of agricultural products. without reciprocity
markets. At this very time boards of trade and
chambers OF commerce and public
SgSn trade W5 the are sS stts
In certain quarters it has been said that, while
we might secure reciprocity with some little
countries in South America, we could do moth
ing with
THE SPANISH ISLANDS.
Let us at least give the Spanish islands an op-
portunity to speak for themselves. Ger.
time to study the system. TO this l might re-
ply that the best method of studying the system
is to observe its practical workings. While
same object lessons these gentlemen
propose to open our market and
let in American products free of
all charge without asking Latin America to give
us in return the same freedom in their markets.
The object lesson Immediately before us is the
treatment OF the sugar question. Shall we make
Latin America gift of that trader When we
have studied that lesson we shall be
PREPARED FOR SECOND.
do not mean in anything have said to i'm
ply that reciprocity is only Western interest.
As 1 remarked in mole to Senator
Frye; it will prove beneficial d ia and
will be promoted by reciprocity cannot be known
until the commercial men OF the United
States hays developed thGse fOrR
shall not realize the full benefit
OF the policy in day or a year, but shall we
therefore throw away countless millions of
trade, in addition to the $50. 900, 900 have al
ready thrown away, and then iguorantly declare
without trial that the system won't work?
Finally there is fact that should have great
weight, especially with protectionists; every
free trader IN the senate voted against reci-
procity. The free trade papers throughout the
country are showing determined hostility
to it. 1t is evident that the
free trade senators and free trade
papers have o reason for their course. They
know and feel that with q system Of reciprocity
established and growing their policy of free
trade receives q most serious blow.
II he protectionist who opposes reciprocity
In the form in which it is now pre- sented knocks
away one of the strongest supports OF his sys-
tenn. The enactment Of reciprocity is the safe
guard of protection. The defeat OF reciprocity
Is the opportunity Of free trade. Yours very re-
spectfuiiy, JAMES Ct. BLAINE.