San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-09-17
BLAINE'S LAST LETTER.
An Able Exposition of Reciprocity
Benefits-How 1t Will Ad-
Meet


1S90.-Col. w. w. Clapp, Editor Bos-
ton Journal, Boston.-MY DEAR SIR:
Il am in receipt of your favor asking
me if can attend the annual banquet
of the Boot and Shoe Club of Boston
in October. You add that the men,
bers are in hearty sympathy with my
views regarding the best method
of extending American trade and
would be glad to have me
address them. / regret that my
engagements will not permit me to
accept the invitation, but you will
please thank the club for the compii-
ment they pay me. am glad to hear
that the members Of tie club are in
terested in reciprocal trade with Latin
America. ] have lately received q
letter from Mr.. J. F. limbs, ofSt. Louis,
leading representative Of the flour
interests and president OF the late
convention of millers at Mime
apolis. Speaking of the grain
and -four interests of that great
section Mr.. limbs says that advices of
recent date from CUBA state that the
duties now collected on American
flour are higher than was at first
supposed to be the case, and he adds:
/ respectfully submit that the
American miller will be unable to re-
tain any part of the Cuban flour trade
unless Immediate reliet is secured"
In view of this fact is it possible that
q protectionist congress can ever
think of opening our markets to
Cuba's products free, while allowing
great western interest to be absolute
" excluded from her markets by
prohibitory tariff? With reciprocity
the west can annually sell many
hundred Thousand barrels of flour in
the markets of Cuba and Porto Rico,
together with large mass of other
agricultural products. Without re-
ciprocity she will be driven more and
more from these markets. AT this
very time the boards of trade and
chambers of commerce and public
opinion in Havana are demanding a
reciprocal trade with the United
States. | select Cuba and Porto Rico
for examples, because in certain quar-
tiers. it 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 opportunity to.
speak for themselves. Certain wise
men observe that they want time to
study the system. To this / might
reply that the best method of study
ing the system is to observe its pTac-
teal workings. While studying in
the abstract and refusing to take
some object lessons, these gentlemen
propose to open our markets and let
in American products free of all
charge without asking Latin America
to give US in return some freedom in
their markets.
An object lesson Immediately be-
fore us is the treatment of the sug;
question. Shall we make Latin
America gift of that trade? When
we have studied that lesson, we shall
be prepared for a second. l do not
mean In anything that / have said to
imply that reciprocity is only
western interest. 1 remarked in a
note to Senator Frye that it would
prove beneficial and profitable both
to farm and shop. Many forms in
which every business interest will
be promoted by reciprocity, can
NOV Db huO"h AbIll LlO oO'
tive commercial men of the United
States shall have developed those
forms by investigation and expert
ence. We shall not realize the full
benefit of the policy in day or year;
but shall we therefore throw away
countless millions of trade, in addl-
ton to the sixty millions we have al
ready thrown away, and then igno.
rantly declare without trial that the
system won't work?
Finally there is q fact that should
have great weight, especially with
protectionists. Every free trader in
the senate voted against the reel.
procity provision. The free trade
papers throughout the country are
showing determined hostility to it.
1t is evident that the free trade sem
ators and free trade papers have
8 reason for their course. They
know and feel that with a sys-
tenn of reciprocity established and
growing, their policy of free trade
receives a most serious blow. The
protectionist who opposes reciprocity
in the form in which it is now pre-
scented knocks away one of the strong
est supports of his system. The en-
actment of reciprocity is the safe
guard of protection; the defeat OF re-
ciprocity is the opportunity of free
trade. Yours very respectfully,
JAMES G.. BLAINE.