Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1890-12-04

for such products Of the farm and shop
as our own people can supply.
In meats and breadstufTs we have ad-
vantages that only need better facilities
OF intercourse aud transportation to se-
cure for them large foreign markets.
RECIPROCITY
The reciprocity clause of the tariff act
wisely and effectively opens the way to
secure a large reciprocal trade in ex-
change for the free admission to our ports
of certain products. The right of indie
pendent nations to make special recipro-
cal trade concessions is well established
and does not impair either the comfy due
to other nations or what is known as the
favored nation clause" so generally
found in commercial treaties. What is
given to one for an adequate agreed
consideration cannot be claimed by an
other freely.
The state of the revenue was
such that we could dispense with
any import duties upon coffee, tea
and hides and the lower grades of
sugar and molasses. The large adVan-
tage resulting to the country producing
and exporting these articles by placing
them on the free list entitled US to fair
return In the way of customs concessions
upon articles exported by US to them was
so obvious that to have gratuitously
abandoned the opportunity to enlarge our
trade would have been an objectionable
error.
There were but two methods of obtain
ing control of this question open to con-
gress: To place all of these articles upon
the dutlable list subject to such treaty
agreements as could be secured. or to
place them all presently upon the free
list, but subject to the reimposition of
specified duties if the countries from
which we received them should refuse to
give to US suitable reciprocal benefits.
This latter method, l think possesses
great advantages.
It expresses in advance the consent of
congress to reciprocity arrangements
affecting these products, which must
otherwise have been delayed and unascer-
tanned until each treaty was ratified by
the senate and the necessary legislation
enacted by congress.
Experience has shown that some trea-
ties looking to reciprocal trade have fail
ed to secure q two-thirds vote in the
senate for ratification, and others having
passed that stage, have for years awaited
the concurrence of the house and senate
in such notifications of our revenue laws
as were necessary to give effect to their
provisions. We now have the concur
renee of both houses in advance in q dis
tinct and definite offer of free entry to
our ports of specific articles. The execu-
tive is not required to deal in conjecture
as to what congress will accept; in
deed this reciprocity provision is more
than an offer on our part of the bargain
in complete delivery has made and when
the countries from which we receive
sugar, coffee, tea and hides have placed
on their free lists such of our products as
shall be agreed upon as an equivalent for
our concession a proclamation of that
fact completes the transaction and in the
meantime our OWN people have free
sugar, tea, coffee and hides.
The indications thus far given are very
hopeful of an early and favorable action
by the countries from which we receive
our large imports of coffee and sugar and
It is confidently believed that If some
communication with these countries can
be promptly improved and enlarged the
next year will show a most gratifying in
crease in our exports of breadstuffs and
provisions as well as of some important
lines Of manufactured goods.