The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-31

Never In the course OF his long and use.
full career has Secretary Blaine appeared TO
greater advantage or moro fully merited
the respect and admiration Of his country
men than he DOES at the present time. In
the fullness Of his intellectual power and
vieor, strong In the affections Of the people,
. trained statesman and diplomatist he
commands the respect, not of America
alone. but of the world. and is justly
classed among the truly great men Of his
generation.
Two marked indications Of the increased
strength Of Mr.. Blaine's well-rounded mind
have just been afforded. One of these is
the unquestioned diplomatic victory which
he has won over Lord Salisbury. Nobody
can read the correspondence regarding the
Behring Sea controversy calmly and dis
passionatsly without being compelled to
admit that Mr.. Blaine has the best Of the
argument throughout In language which
is both calm and dignified he asserts the
position Of the United States government.
He denies that this position Is inconsistent
with the former attitude Of the govern
ment with reference to fishing rights in
Behring Sea, and incidentally convicts Lord
Salisbury of shameful misquotation of the
language used by John Quincy Adams in
reference to the subject He accuses the
British government Of denying to the
United States right which was acquiesced
in when claimed by Russia. He resents in
weIl-chosen language the pettish and ILL.,
natured charge Of Lord Salisbury that the
course OF this government in the matter is
determined by the exigencies of home poll
tics. Finally. he convicts the premier of
radical inconsistency SO glazing that an at
tempt to deny it would be useless.
Throughout the correspondence he main-
tains the position of our government with
force and dignity. and he emerges from the
controversy with new laurels for American
, diplomacy.
Bat it is not in the diplomatic field alone
that Mr.. Blame has won his later triumphs.
The plan Of limited reciprocity outlined in
his recent letter to Senator Frye. and sup
ported in another letter still more recent,
is broad. practical and statesmanlike.
Coming in the midst Of an interminable
tariff discussion, it sounds like the utter
ance Of . genius. 1t is the call of the
leader. Whether or not this plan is
adopted by the leaders in congress, it CON-
mends itself to the common sense OF the
people. and viii sooner or later become the
policy of the government The more it is
considered. the stronger does 1t grow. 1t
is the outline of what will be the final and
satisfactory solution of the tariff question.
As soon as an industry in the United States
becomes sufficiently established 20 enable
IL to invite competition from any other
county. . treaty permitting such compe-
tition should be negotiated with the gov
ernment Of that country. the price exacted
in return for the concession invariably be-
ing special privileges for American pro-
ducts. For instance, as Mr.. Blaine sug-
gests, II We remove the duty on sugar. we
should insist upon the spanish-American
countries admitting American -four and
pork free Of duty. When we make con-
cession. we should require a concession.
When we open a new market, we should
demand that new market be opened for
us. When we abolish the tariff on any ar
ticle, we should insist that the countries
producing that article shall make return
in kind for the advantage which they
derive. This Is the true system of protec-
ton 10 American industries. II makes the
protective tariff beneficial. not indirectly,
bat directly and positively. to the farmer
8 well a. to the mechanic. II makes our