Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-17


ne TALKS ABOUT ANERIcAN TLoUR AND CUBAN.
sraAn-nHCIPRocrrY BENEFICIAL ALIKE TO
SHOP AND FAR,f-FREB fRADRRs IN THE SENATE
AND THEIR ATTITUDE on lKcIPRocrTY.
The editor Of the Boston Journal, Col. W. W.
Clapp, has published Q letter received by him
from Mr.. Blaine under date OF September is,
1880, thanking, through him, the Boot and Shoe
Club of Boston for An invitation to attend its
annual banquet and expressing regrets that
his engagements will not permit him to attend.
II am glad to hear" he writes. 'that the
members of the club are interested in q system
OF reciprocal trade with Latin America They
can do great good by counteracting q certain
phase Of New England opinion, entertained at
homo as we'll 40 in Washington, an opinion
which must regard as In tho highest degree
unwise and hurtful to New England interests.
New England is to receive in the new tariff the
amplest protection for every manufacturing
industry within her borders, both great and
small, and 1t will in my Judgment be both in
expedient and injurious for her representa-
tives TO disregard q measure which will pro-
mote western interesta have lately received
leading representative Of the -four interests
and president Of the late convention of millers
ut Minneapolis. Speaking for the grain and
Touring interest in that great section Mr.. limbs
says that 'sdvices Of recent date from Cuba
state that the duties now collected on Ameri-
can flour arc at higher rate than at first sup
posed to be the case And no adds: i re-
spectfully submit that the American miller will
be unable to retain any part of the Cuban flour
trade unless immediate relief is secured.
TO TRADE WITH CUBA.
"In view OF these facts Is it possible that
protectionist Congress can even think Of OPEN
ing our market to Cuba's products free, while
allowing great western interest to be abso-
lutely excluded from her market by a prohibi-
tory tariff? With reciprocity tho west can an
pually sell many hundred thousand barrels of
Hour in the markets of Cuba and Porto Rico,
together with y large class OF other agricul-
tural products. Without reciprocity she will
be driven moro and moro from the markets.
Giving the fullest protection to all eastern
interests, rs the proposed tariff bill does, surely
no man OF good Judgment, certainly no protec-
ZIONIST OF wise forecast, wishes to expose
western interest to serious injury, especially
when 1t is manifestly easy to protect it and
promote it-manifestly easy because at this
very time the boards Of trade. the chambers OF
commerce and the public opinion in Havana
are demanding reciprocal trade with the United
States. ! select Cuba and Porto Rico, for ex-
ample, because in certain quarters IL has been
said that while We might secure reciprocity
with some little countries IN South America, we
could do nothing with the Spanish Islands.
Let US at least give the Spanish Islands an op-
portuuity to speak for themselves.
Certain wise men ask: How can we sell farm
products in South America when the same
things are produced there? Cereals are un-
doubtedly grown In the southernmost part OF
South America, but the wise men will remem-
Der that cereals and sugar do not grow in the
same soil, and that the sugar countries of South
and Central America aud the West India
Island contain AZ, OO0, 900 of people who import
the largest part Of their broadstuffs. Indeed
the largest part Of the sugar product OF all
Latin America is at our doors and we can
greatly enlarge our exchanges there II Con-
aress will give Us the opportunity for recipro-
cal trade.
TINE TO STUDY THE SYSTEM
another class observe that they want time
to study the system. To this might reply that
the best method of studying system is to OBJ
serve its practical workings. While studying
in the abstract aud refusing to tako some OBJ
Ject lessons, these gentlemen propose to open
our market to Latin American products free of
all charge, without asking Latin America to
give us in turn some freedom in their markets.
The object lesson Immediately before US is the
treatment OF the sugar question. Shall we
make Latin America gift of that trade? When
We have studied that lesson we shall be pre-
pared for the second.
by those who say: Let u put sugar Oh the
free list now and next year we will take up the
subject OF reciprocity II understand their
logic 1t 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 the complete vantage ground our
selves the proposed policy transfers the vantage
ground to spain. Instead of granting a favor
to Spain today we are to ask her for favor to-
morrow. Those who take this ground belong
to that class OF careful guardians OF property
who prepare very strong lock for the stable
after the horse is gone.
BENEFICIAL TO ALI.
II do not mean in anything that have said
to imply that reciprocity is only western inter-
est. As remarked in q note to Senator Frye
il will prove beneficial and profitable both to
the farm and the shop. What, for insta nce
could be more natural or more just than that,
In giving free market in the United States to
hides from the Argentine Republic, We should
ask the Argentine Republic to give better
market than we now have for the product of
leather from the United States. The many
forms in which our business interests will be
promoted by reciprocity cannot be known I'M
I'll the active commercial men Of the United
States shall have developed those forms by in
vestlgation and experience. We shall not
realize the full beneht Of the policy in day or
year, but shall we, therefore, throw away
countless millions Of trade in addition to the
sixty millions we have already thrown away
and then ignorartiy declare without trial that
the system won't work.
FINALLY, there is one fact that should have
great weight especially with protectionists.
Every free-trader in the Senate voted against
the reciprocity provision. The free-trade papers
throughout the country are showing deter
mined hostility to ii. It is evident that the
free-trade Senators and the free-trade papers
have specific reason for their course. They
know and feel that with system of reciprocity
established and growing their policy of free
trade receives q most serious blow. The pro-
tecfionist who opposes reciprocity in the form
IN which it ID now presented knocks away one
of the strongest supports Of his system. The
enactment Of reciprocity is the safeguard of
protection. The defeat Of reciprocity is the
opportunity Of free trade"