The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-03
The Recinrocitv Idea.

| The reciprocity idea, Of which Mr.. Blaine
\ is the leading advocate, has taken pretty
/ strong hold Of the Senate. 1t looks now as
if it would be Incorporated into the tariff
bill. It's friends in the Senate have steadily
! increased in number. and it IS even said that
Mai Mckinley no longer opposes 1t, al
though he did not deem it worthy Of con-
sideTation " hen Mr.. Blaine presented 1t to
the ways and means committee at the time
that committee was framing The tariff bill
In fact, it is asserted that Maj. Mckinley,
VINO is chairman OF the ways and
means committee, ridiculed reciprocity and
regarded with impatience Mr.. Blaine's APP
pesrance before the committee in behalf Of
it. Now that be finds that it is popular he
admits that it deserves more than passing
notice. Even the cold-blooded aud crafty
Senator Sherman favors 1T, for the reason,
perhaps. that he sees that the drift
of public sentiment is toward it.
He is not sverse. therefore, TO
seeking whatever popularity there is to DO
gained from it by identifying himself
with it. The resolution which he offered in
the Senate yesterday, extending reci-
W OhbdOd, 10 a Itbby 6Son
tion that the republican leaders are begin
ming to see that the country is about tired
of high protection, and that even in the Re
publican party there is IA strong and grow
ing demand for freer trade.
When Mr.. Blaine suggested, a month or
SO ago, that instead Of admitting sugar free
it should be made the means of extending
our trade with the sugar producing coua-
tries, it WAS said by some of the republican
leaders that the suggestion was not prac-
ticable one, and that it would not meet with
the approval of the countries south of us.
That they were mistaken is shown by the
statement of Senator Aldrich in the Senate
on Monday. That Senator declared that
Brazil, Chill and Peru had announced
through their representatives at Washing
ton their willingness to enter into reciprocal
is every reason to believe that about all the
other countries south of US will gladly do
the same thing.
In his speech at Waterville, Me-, the other
day Mr.. Blaine pointed out that from fig
ures taken from the books of the treasury
departmental appeared that our trade with
Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Hawaii
and Canada left a balance in our favor of
$l29, 5000 annually, but that our trade
with the countries south Of us not only
wiped out this favorable balance, but Gre
ated an annual balance against us OF over
$4,000 900. 1t is not to be wondered at,
therefore, that the reciprocal idea is grow
ing in favor.
But it is growing in favor for another
and stronger reason-a reason which SEN
ator Paddock Of Nebraska, republican,
pointed out in a speech in the Senate on
Monday. 1t is that the people are getting
very tired of being taxed to build up mo-
nopoies. The high protective tariff, they
are beginning 70 understand. bears very
heavily upon the masses and benefits only a
few. Senator Paddock illustrated his
meaning by referring to the proposition in
the pending tariff bill to tax the whole peo-
pie with the view of allowing few persons
to get rich out of the manufacture of tin
plate. he declared that he would much
rather pay bounty to those who want to
manufacture tin plate than to make every
family in the country contribute to the
support of a tin plate industry.
The republican leaders see tha at the people
are dissatisfied with the high protective
policy of their party, and that is why they
are taking hold of the reciprocity idea,
which means freer trade. Mr. Blaine was
the first Of them to admit the existence of
this dissatisfaction. and was quick to seek
some means to allay it.
The truth is, the position of the Demo
cratic party with respect to the tariff is the
correct one, and the Republican party will
have to come TO it, either by the reciprocity
road or some other. There is a revolt,
which is spreading, against the high pro-
tective policy. and sooner or later the Re
publican party will be forced TO abandon
that policy.