Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-09-04

was IN operation at the close of the war
and for a few years afterward During
the war we were compelled to tax al
most everything in the air, in the water,
on the earth and under the earth. The
necessities of the government were so
great that we could allow scarcely any
thing to be imported without paying
tribute, and L think no patriotic man
can deny that that was a wise policy.
We were not then studying the philoso-
ply of trade relations, bat how to save
the life of the nation. Money was the
primal necessity and we seized it wher-
ever we could reach it lawfully; but
during the last eighteen years a great
change has been made. So entirely has
the war tariff been abolished that in
the fiscal year ending June 80. 1889. the
articles admitted free were considerably
more than one-third of all the imports.
The inevitable tendency is, think,
Toward an Increase of the Free List.
Our great mistake was made when we
began to repeal the war duties on so
large an amount of imports. Any duty
repealed was a favor and an advantage
to the exporting country, and
we have asked nothing in return. In
stead of this course (Which l must say
was one of carelessness and wasteful-
ness by both political parties) every re-
peal of duty should have been preceded
by most thorough investigation, and
whenever 1t was found practicable to
export anything from the United States
and thus establish reciprocity of trade
it should have been done. 1t is not a
question of setting deliberately to work
to establish reciprocal exchanges. But
with all the duties we have thus far re-
pealed it has been question of whether
we should get something or get nothing.
hope now, with our eyes open, that
we shall
In Future Choose to Get Something.
We encounter opposition to this policy
from these who declare that if we enter
into reciprocity of trade with one coun-
try we must do so with all countries,
and thus indirectly bring about COM
plete free trade. | do not see the logic
of this, and am sure the fact will not
prove what is predicted. We may en-
ter into reciprocity with one nation be-
cause we find advantage in it. We may
decline to enter into reciprocity with
another nation because we see no ad-
vantage in it. Reciprocity is simply
policy of circumstance to be determined
favorably or adversely according as It's
operation may make or lose for us. To
say that because we enter into recipro-
cal relations with one country on one
thing we must enter into reciprocal
relations with all other contries
on all things, is, to my mind, as absurd
as to say that if buy horse to-day l
must necessarily buy drove of asses to-
morrow.
All Objections of That Kind
are, am sure, unfounded and will not
stand the test of argument or a practi-
cal trial. Our people do not realize the
great fact that if special payment is en-
dangered by our present system of trade
with the Latin American states. The
few millions of gold that have gone out
of the country within the last three
months have created uneasiness in GER
tain quarters as to our financial position.
1t is very extraordinary that the loss of
these millions from banks in Wall street
should be accounted so serious an event
when we have lost a much larger
amount during the same period from
the condition of our trade with the
countries south of us without exciting
the least observation. When our mer-
chants and bankers come to thoroughly
appreciate this fact we shall receive aid
and influence in the reform of our trade
from quarter which thus far it has
been impossible to enlist.