Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1890-09-25
EXTENSION OF OUR TRADE.
A Letter from Secretary Blaine that
is of Unusual luteres. Just at
This Time.
Reciprocity Recommended as Help
Especially to Western Ameri-
can Products.
And Also as One of the Strongest Sup
ports of the Grand Protective
System.

BosToN, Sept. l6.-ln response to an
invitation to the annual banquet of the
Boot and Shoe club, OF Boston, Col. Clapp.
editor of the journal, has received letter
from Mr.. Blaine In which the secretary OF
state, referring to portion OF the invita-
ton saying the members OF the club are IN
heart, sympathy with his views regarding
the best method of extending the Amerl-
can trade, he regrets that engagements
will not permit him to address the meet
inc. The members of the club, he says,
can do great good by counteractiLg a
certain phase of New England opinion
which he regards as hurtful to New Eng
land interests. New Englandis to receive
in the new tariff the ampest protection
for every manufacturing industry within
her borders and it will be in the Judgment
of the secretary of state, both ineXpedlent
and injurious for her representatives to
disregard the measure which will promote
western interests. MIR. Blaine refers to
letter recently received from the president
of the late convention of millers at Mime
apolis. referring to the excessive duties on
American flour in Cuba and stating that
Americans will be unable to retain any
date relief is secured. In view of these
facts, says Mr.. Blaine, it is possible that
proteetionist congress can even think of
opening our markets to Cubas products
free, while allowing that the great western
industry will be absolutely excluded
from her markets by a prJhlbl-
tory tariff? With 4eciproclty the
west can annually sell many thousand bar
rels of flour in Cuba and 7rto Rlca to-
gether with a large mass ut otter agricui-
tural products. Without reciprocity she
will be driven more and more from these
markets. Giving the fullest protection to
all eastern interest as the proposed tarllI
bill does, surely no man OF good
Judgment, certainly no prOtechonlst OF
wise forecast, wishes to expose western
interest to serious injury; especially when
it is manifestly easy to protect and pro
mote it-manifestly easy because at tins
very time boards of trade chambers OF
commerce and public opinion in Havana
are demanding reciprocal trade with the
United States. Certain wise
men ask how can we sell farm products
in South America wnen the same
things are produced there? Cereals are
undoubtedly grown in the southern por-
ton of South America but the 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 Indies are forty millions OF
people who importthe largest part OF their
breadstuffs. Indeed, the largest portion OF
the product of Latin-hmerlca is Hour and
we can greatly enlarge our exchanges there
if congress will give us an opportunity Tor
reciprocal trade. Another class observe
that they want time to study the system.
70 this might reply the best method OF
studying the system Is to observe IT'S
practical working. While studying IN
the abstract and in refusing some object
lessons, these lessons propose to open our
market to Latin American products Tree OF
all charges, without asking LATIN Amerl'
ca to give us in turn some freedom IN
their markets. The object lesson I'M
mediatey before us is a treatment or
the sugar quest on. Shall we make Latin
America a gift of that trade? When we
have studied that lesson we shall be pre-
pared for the second. The worst prop
osition of all is put forth 10y those who
say, Let us pat sugar on the free Inst
now and next year take up the subject
of recipro .ity." If | understand their
logic it is to make sugar free this year
without condition and next year to ask
Spain if she will not kindly consent to
grant us reciprocal trade. Holding com
plete vantage ground themselves they pro
pose policy to transfer the vantage
ground to Spain. Those who take TINS
ground belong to the classof careful
guardians of property who prepare a
strong lock for the stable after the horse
is gone. do not mean in anything l
have said to imply that reciprocity is only
western interest. 1t will prove bene-
fetal and Improbable both to the farm and
the shop. Many forms in which our busi-
ness interests will be promoted by reclp-
r0city can not be known until the active
commercial men of the United States shall
have developed those forms by lnyestiga-
ton and experience. We shall not re
alize the full benefits of the policy IN day
or year but snail we, therefore, throw
away the countless millions of trade in adj
dition to the sixty millions we have al
ready thrown away and then lgnoranty
declare without trial that the system won t
work
Finally, there is one fact that should
have great weight especially with pro-
tectionists Every free trader in the sen
ate voted against reciprocity. Free trade
papers throughout the country are showing
determined hostility TO it. 1t is evident
that free trade senators and free trade
papers have specific reason for their
course. They know and feel that with a
system of reciprocity established and
growing their policy of free trade receives
most serios blow The protectionist
who opposes reciprocity in the form in
which it is now presented, knocks away
one of the strongest supports of his system.
The enactment of reciprocity is the oppor-
tunity of free trade
MARRIED TOO SOON,