The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-09-17
RECIPROCITY WITH LATIN-AMERICA.
Mr.. Blaine Writes Again on Trade
With Our Neighbors.
He Says Eastern interests Have Been
Given Full Protection,
But a Market Must Be Secured for
the Great West.

BOSTON, Mass, September 16.-The fol-
lowing letter is furnished for publication:
BAR HARBoR, Sept. 10, 1890.
Col. W. W. Cldpp, Editor OF the Boston
Journal, Boston:
My Dear Sir:-I am in receipt Of your favor
asking me If can attend the annual banquet
of the Boot and Shoe Club Of Boston, early
in October. You add the members are sin
hearty sympathy with my views regarding
the best method Of extending American
trade and would be glad to have me address
them" regret that my engagements will
not permit me TO accept the invitation, but
you will please thank the club for the COM
pliment they pay me. am glad to hear that
the members of the club are interested in a
system of reciprocal trade with Latin-Amer-
lea. They can do great good by counteract-
ing certain phase of New England opinion.
entertained at home as well as in Washing
ton-an opinion which l must regard as in
the highest degree unwse and hurtful to
receive in the new tariff the amplest protec-
tion for every manufacturing industry with
N her borders, both great and small. 1t
will, in my Judgment, be both inexpedient
and injurious for her representatives to dis
regard a measure which will promote west
ern interests. l have lately received letter
from j. +. limbs of ST. Louis, leading re-
preventative OF the Hour interests and presi-
dent of the late convention of millers at
Minneapolis. Speaking for the grain and
says "Advices of recent date from Cuba
state that the duties now collected on Amer
lean flour are at higher rate than was first
supposed to be the case" He adds: II
respectfully submit that the American miller
will be unable to retain any part of the
Cuban flour trade unless immediate relief is
secured"
In view of these facts, is it possible that
pr0tectioniSt Congress can even think of
opening our market to Cuba's products free,
w a no. Int fp
be absolutely excluded from her market by a
prohibitory tariff? With reciprocity, the
West can annually sell many hundred thou
sand barrels of flour in the markets of Cuba
and Porto Rico, together with large mass
Of other agricultural products. Without
reciprocity, she will be driven more and
more from those markets. Giving the fullest
protection to all eastern interests, as pro-
posed in the tariff bill, surely no man of good
Judgment certainly no protectionist of wise
interest to serious injury, especially
when it is manifestly easy to protect and
promote it because at this very time
the board of trade, the chamber of
commerce and public opinion in Havana are
demanding reciprocal trade with the United
State. l select Cuba and Porto Rico for ex-
amples because, in certain quarters, 1t has
been said that while we might secure reci-
procity with some little countries In South
America, we could do nothinglwith the Span
n
islands the opportunity to speak for them
selves.
Certain wise men ask: "How can we sell
farm products In South America when the
same things are produced there% Cereals
are undoubtedly grown in the southernmost
part of South America, but wise men will
remember that cereals and sugar DO not grow
In the same soil, and the sugar countries of
South and Central America and the West In
dia Islands contain 100000 people, who
&In - &lafx
Indeed, the largest part of the sugar product
Of all Latin-America is at our doors, and we
can greatly enlarge our exchanges there if
Congress will give us opportunity for recip-
rocal trade.
Another class observe that they want time
to study the system. To this might reply
that the best method of studying a system 10
to observe its practical workings. Why
studying in the abstract and refusing to
take some object lessons. these gentlemen
propose to open our markets to Latin-Ameri-
can products free of all charge without ask
ing Latin-America to give US in turn some
freedom in their markets. The object les
son Immediately before US IS the treatment
of the sugar question. Shall we make Latin
America gift of that trade? When we
have studied that lesson we shall be pre-
pared for the second.
The worst propositionof all is put for
ward by those who say: Let us put sugar
on the free list now. Next year we will
take up the subject of reciprocity" If I
understa tand their logiciti is to make sugar free
this year without condition, and next year
ask Spain if she will rot kindly consent to
grant us reciprocal trade. Holding the COM |
plete vantage ground ourselves the proposed |
policy transfers the vantage ground to Spain. |
Instead of granting avor to Spain today, |
we are to ask her TO, favor tomorrow. !
Those who take thisground belong to that |
class of careful guardians Of property who |
prepare very strong ock for the stable af |
ter the horse is gone.
l do not mean, in an7thing L have said, to |
imply that reciprocityis cnly western in |
terest. As remarked in my note to Sena- |
tor Frye, it will prove beneficial and profita- |
BILE both to the farm and the shop. What, |
for instance, could be more natural or more |
Just than that, in giving free market in the |
United States to hide from the Argentine |
Republic, we should SIX the Argentine Re- |
public to give better market than we now |
have for the product of leather from the |
United States? Man forms in which our
business interests WILDE promoted by reci-
procity cannot be kown until the active |
commercial men of tn United States shall |
and experience. Weshall not realize the |
full benefit of the policy in a |
day or year, but shall we. therefore,
throw away counties millions in trade, in |
addition to the sixty millions we have al
clare without trial tht the System won't
work. Finally, tme is one fact that
should have great eight, especially with |
protectionists. Ever free trader in the
Senate voted againstthe reciprocity provi
sion, Free trade ppers throughout the
country are showing stermined hostility to |
it. 1t is evident the be trade Senators and |
free trade papers haa specific reason for
their course. They low and feel that with |
a system of reciproci established and grow
ing, their policy of fp trade receives a most
serious blow. lheprotectionist who op-
poses reciprocity, in he form in which it is |
now presented, kinks away one of the |
strongest supports his system. The en-
actment of reciproy is the safeguard of |
protection. Ihe deht of reciprocity is the |
opportunity of free tide
Yours very reS3ctfGlly,
JAMES G. BLAINE.