Los Angeles herald., 1890-09-17
MR.. BLAINE'S HOBBY
His Reciprocity Views Again
Ventilated.
A Deviation From the Republi-
can Doctrine.
The Protected East Must Share Ben
efts With the West.
Chauncey Depew's Advice to the Farmers.
Democracy in the Land of
Steady Habits.
Associated Press Dispatches.

~A'SoNi'eS' icsS DlopiiJCllcs
BosTON, Sept 16.-In response to an
invitation to the annual banquet of the
Boot and Shoe club of Boston, Colonel
Clapp, editor of the Journal has re-
ceived letter from Mr. Blaine, in
which the secretary of state. referring
to that portion OF the invitation saying
that the members of the club are in
hearty sympathy with his views re-
garding the best methods of extending
American trade, regrets that his en-
gagements will not permit him to ad-
dress the meeting. The members of the
club, he says, can do great good by
counteracting certain phase of New
England opinion, which he regards as
hurtful to New England interests. New
England is to receive, in the new tariff,
the amplest protection for every manu-
featuring industry within her borders,
and it will be, in the judgment of the
secretary OF state, both inexpedlent and
injurious for her representatives to dis
regard a measure which will promote
western interests.
Mr.. Blaine refers to letter recently
received from the president of the late
convention of millers at Minneapolis,
referring to the excessive duties on
American flour in Cuba, and stating that
Americans will be unable to retain any
part of the Cuban -four trade unless i'm
mediate relief is secured. "In view of
these facts" says Mr.. Blaine, sis it
possible that protectionist congress
can even think of opening our markets
to Cuba's products free, while allowing
a great western industry to be absolutely
excluded from her markets by a pro-
hibitory tariff. With reciprocity the
west can annually sell many hundred
thousand barrels of flour in Cuba and
Porto Rico, together with large mass
of other agricultural products; without
reciprocity she will be driven more and
more from these markets.
"Giving the fullest protection to all
the eastern interests as the proposed
tariff bill does, surely no man of good
judgment, certainly no protectionist OF
wise forecast, wishes to,expose western
interest to serious injury, especially
when it is manifestly easy to protect
and promote it; manifestly easy,
because at this very time the boards OF
trade, chambers of commerce and public
opinion in Havana are demanding recip-
rocal trade with the United States.
Certain wise men have asked: How
can we sell farm products in South
America when the same things are pro-
duced there? Cereals are undoubtedly
grown in the southernmost portions of
South America, but wise men will re-
member that sugar and cereals do not
grow in the same soil, and the sugar
countries OF South and Central America
and the West Indies contain forty mil
lion people who import the largest part
OF their breadstuffs. Indeed, the largest
portion of the sugar product of Latin
America is at our doors, and we can
greatly enlarge our exchanges if congress
will give us an opportunity for recipro-
Cal trade.
"Another class observe that they want
time to study the system. To this might
reply, the best method of studying the
system is to observe its practical work
ings. While studying in the abstract
and refusing to take some object lessons
these gentlemen propose to open our
market to Latin-Ame1ican products free
OF all charge, without asking Latin
America to give us in turn, some free
dom in their markets. The object les
son Immediately before us is the treat
ment Of the sugar question. Shall we
make LatinAmerica a gift of that trade
When we have studied that lesson, we
shall be prepared for a second.
''The worst proposition of all is that
put forth by those who say: Let us
put sugar on the free list now and next
year take up the subject of reciprocity
Ii | understand their logic, it is to make
sugar free this year without condition,
and next year to ask Spain if she will
not kindly consent to grant us recipro-
cal trade. Holding the complete want
age ground ourselves, the proposed
policy transfers the vantage ground to
Spain. Those who take this ground be-
long to that class of careful guardians OF
property who prepare strong lock for
the stable after the horse is gone.
81 do not mean in anything have said
to imply that reciprocity is only west
ern interest. 1t will prove beneficial
and profitable both to the farm and shop.
Many forms in which our business in
terests will be promoted by reciprocity
cannot be known until the active COM
mercial men of the United States have
developed those forms by investigation
and experience. We shall not realize
the full benefit of the policy in day or
a year, but shall we, therefore, throw
away the countless millions of trade, in
addition to the sixty millions we have
already thrown away, and then ignor-
antly declare, without trial, that the
system won't work?
"Finally, there is one fact that should
have great weight, and especially with
protectionists. Every free trader in the
senate voted against reciprocity. The
free trade papers throughout the coun-
try are showing determined hostility to
It.
''It is evident that the free trade sem
ators and free trade papers have a spe-
Gfc reason for their course.
They know and feel that
with the system of reciprocity
established and growing, their policy of
free trade receives a most serious blow.
Tie protectionist who opposes recipro-
city in the form in which it is now pre-
sehted, knocks away one Of the strongest
supports of his system. The enactment
of Reciprocity is the safeguard OF protec-
tioi. The defeat of reciprocity is the
opportunity of free trade"
lat