St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-30
sENA TOR DAVIS, sPEECH.

Senator DAVIS speech in advocacy of
reciprocity was an unqueStioned loren
sic triumph, and recalls the better days
of the republic, when brains counted for
more than money in the senate. We
are no less surprised than gratified,
however, that the senator flashed his
maiden sword in defense of a Democratic
principle. There is vast difference
between the campaign speeches Senator
DAVIS has been accustomed to make in
Minnesota and the one he delivered the
other day in the senate. This differ
ence may be accounted for by the fact
that his Minnesota campaign speeches
were made for local political effect,
while the one delivered in the senate
was made for history. 1t is none the
less pleasing that the senator's intel
lectual strength can tower above the low
plane of partisan politics, and that he
can rise to the full dignity and magni-
tt lie of the tariff question at time and
in place where it should be treated
from the standpoint of craftsmanship.
In the field of political economy the
subject of reciprocity lies adjacent to
the tariff. The policy of reciprocity
sends its roots back through our history
to that period of American politics
when the old masters controlled public
affairs. 1t is, and has ever been, part
and parcel of the Democratic doctrine.
The old reciprocity idea which Mr..
BLAINE caught up, and which Mir.
DAVIS advocates, is really more In the
direction Of free trade than the posi-
ton occupied by the Democrats to-day.
Before the war the leaders of Demo-
cratic opinion built up commercial in
tercourse between this and many other
countries through reciprocity treaties,
and the rates of impost duties were
fixed in the treaties themselves. A suit
able Illustration of this practice is found
in the treaty with China, proclaimed
April Is. 1876. This commercial scheme
wrought out closer friendship among
the people of the contracting countries,
and returned to the consumers of each
the cost of the products of both.
President CLEVELAND was elected
upon platform pledged to the resto-
ration of this poIicy-the only presi-
dent who has been elected upon such
platform since 1856. The Democratic
platform of 1884 declared for more init
mate commercial relations with the
cou tries OF South America, and in full
fillment of that doctrine bills authoriz-
ing the assembling of the Pan-Ameri-
can congress IN Washington were passed
during the CLEVELAND administra-
ton, and that great convocation met
and convened as the result of Demo
cratic diplomacy; and Mr.. BLAINE
merely took up the threads of the prof.
ect where they had fallen from the
hands of the defeated Democracy.
So. if Senator DAVIS is a veritable
SAUL among the prophets, yet it is
to his credit that he has the courage
and the far-sighted craftsmanship to
approve the Democratic policy, even
though it be reversal of all that he
has said and done in the past. We
live in period of constant and pro-
found economic changes. and the man
who stays in the party rut becomes too
fossilized for public service. Within
the last seven years nearly every civil
lied country of the world has adopted
retaliatory policy against America be-
cause of our prohibitory tariff laws.
Many of the European counties have
excluded altogether the breadstuff and
meat products Of America simply be-
cause we have put prohibitory tax
upon their products.
Under the reciprocity policy we can
give protection to our industrial system
of the highest and wisest character, and
such protection as can be attained in no
other way. Legislation is imperative
toward opening the ports of other coun-
tries; but itcan be done by reciprocit y
treaty, for in that way only can we get
rid of both import and export duties.
AS we have said, reciprocity sQuints
strongly at free trade; and yet it as
sumes what is still more important
fair trade.