, 1890-09-03
The Tariff Debate Turns on
Reciprocity.
Senator Sherman Sees Many
Obstacles in the Way.
Allison Makes a Statement Re
garding Finances.

also WIFI Iudl Ou Tue IOENus
The house bill in relation to lotteries
was returned from the p~ostofice commit
tee and placed on the calendar with the no
LITIGATION by Sawyer that be would ask for
its consideration as soon as the tariff bill
was passed. .
The tariff bill was then taken up and
the sugar schedule considered.
Carlisle ave notice hat he would move
to strike out all paragraphs relative to
sugar bounties.
Hale offered the reciprocity amendment
of which he had given notice on the 10Th
of June. and addressed the senate upon
il. The d~esirabIllty OF such an inter
change of products as the amendment
proposed. he said, had been a subject
which had given riso TO closest attention
and bad resulted in grave and pertinent
suggestions from eminent public men
of the United States during
the last thirty years. Whoever
had seen the gradual falling off of Amer
lean trade with Central aud South Amer
lea and the isles of the sea must have
witnessed those conditions with the great
est Impotence. The people of all those
countries had a common interest with the
people Of the United States. Abiding
TO the late Pan-American congress-, Hale
said it proved that the same considera-
tions which bad their influence in the
United States were also moving in the
minds OF eminent men from sister repub-
lies who took part in the proceedings of
that congress, and that they pointed to
one sure, inevitable end an increase of
trade between-the United States and those
people. Those considerations which aD-
piled to an extension of trade and an iu-
creased interchange OF products applied
not only TO the nations of Central and
South America but to the islands OF the
Spanish main.
Hale assured the senators who repre-
scented the sorghum and beet sugar dis
tricts that he was not in antagonist with
them. 1t those senators objected to the
policy of trying to secure some benefits
from those countries for the repeal of the
duties on their sugar. he asked them how
much more they ought to object to the
unreserved repeal of those duties. IL
would be, he declared, a policy not much
short of lunacy to repeal the sugar duties
hANH ~ A1R1NA wac hrtA ~ uNllu jill
benefits from the products of American
labor. TO him one thing was as sure as
the tides and sunrise, and that was that
the policy suggested by the president and
secretary of slate. aud which had secured
the attention and approval of the wisest
statesmen in =. lat thirty years, was the
policy that had come to stay with the
American people, There never was a
time more fitted 10 try the plan or expert
ment than now. aud to his mind the
amendment which he had offered was the
most fitting solution of the question.
Allison made a long statement of the
receipts and expenditures OF the govern
ment aHd the probable effect the tariff
bill would have on the finances. lie said
the total expenditures for the current
fiscal year would be about $4,000, 900.
and the total revenues, including postsl
receipts aud everything, would be- S46O,
100000. II there were no tariff bill to be
passed. and il the situation remained un-
changed, there wouli be u surplus of
revenue over expenditures Tor the current
fiscal year Of $40, 900, 0O0. He had not
included IN the expenditures the amount
that would be paid for silver or claims
against the government other than those
which have passed congress-. He figures
out an liner ase oil S27. 600, 900 of revenue
under the pending bill, as against a de-
crease of 500, 500. 600 from putting sugar
and other articles on the free list, so that
s53, 500, 600 had TO be taken off from the
surplus of $40, 000, 600, leaving some SIS,
10000 surplus at the end of the year and
paving nothing ON the sinking fund.
Taxing into account The balance now in
the treasury of SlO7, 900, 900 and this sur
plus, Allison calculated that the secretary
OF the treasury would have S78, 200, 900
on the LIST of July, 1891, unless in the
meantime he redeemed AZ per cent bonds,
as he (Alllson) hoped the secretary would
proceed TO do without delay. He declared
that in his judgment it was a wise thing
TO take off the sugar duties. He had NOT
the slightest fear there would be any dan
ger from 1t to the treasury, certainly not
within several years to come. He was
also In favor of a further extension of re
ciprocal trade, but hoped that in any such
arrangement it would be seen to that the
United States had its just share of the
bargain.
Gibson offered an amendment to the
sugar schedule by adding the words
syrup OF beet, sorghum or sugar cane
He made an argument against the sugar
bounty proposition aud said IL was a mis-
cradle ~dwindling away from Blaine's
broad and generous proposition of recip-
rocity.
sherman expressed his views on the
subject OF reciprocity, and spoke of the
difhculties in tho way of reciprocity BY
treaty; The first proposition of Hale's
was a most startling one. 1t
authorized the president of the United
states without further legislation, to de-
care the ports OF the United States free
anu open TO all the products Of any nation
Vi .ne American hemisphere mon which
~ eApors duties are imposed. Was Cuba,
ne asked a nation2 He knew Senator
1 1ate sdId today that he meant to include
SuDa, out was Canada embraced in that
list OF nations? He had asked the senator
ma question and the senator had rsnlied.
NO; that is quite n different thing" and
yet II any reciprocal trade Arrangement
were made with any country thew ought
to be made with Canada.
lie went on to criticize unfayorably
hale,s amendment as one that would al
low the free importation of wool, copper.
zinc. iron, gold, silver. lead ores, etc. but
was informed by Hale that the amend
ment had not been carefully drawn, but
was simply intended to propose the prin-
siple OF reciprocity. His own amendment
mad been intended to apply to only three
or four articles-sugar, coffee. rubber and
nitrates. lie was reminded by Sherman
that Cuba produced no coffee and no rub
per so the arrangement with Cuba could
only be as 20 the article of sugar.
Hale-If there is nothing to trade upon
Nth advantage. then there will be no
trade made. The plan which | suggested
rs comprehensive. but it is not definite If
.nere Is nothing to make a bargain upon