The Indianapolis journal., 1890-08-30
| He Thinks the Time Has Arrived When the
United States Should Strive to Enlarge Its
Commerce with Foreign Countries
Figures That Show We Are Losers in
Our Present Method of Seeking Trade.
What Could Be Gained by Establishing Recip-
rocal Exchanges with Cuba. Mexico and
the South American Republics.
TARIFF AND RECIPROCITY.
Hon. james G. Blaine Gives His Views to
Assembly of Maine Republicans.

Hon. James G. Blaine Gives His Views to AN
Assembly of Maine Republicans.
WATERvILLE, Me-. Aug. ga public
mass-meeting was held tonight. and after
Governor Burleigh had made a speech,
President A. w. Small. of Colby Univer-
sity, introduced as THE leader of the Re-
publican party and famous advocate of an
interesting aud progressive protective
tariff, Hon. James g. Blaine" In regard
to national questions. Mr.. Blaine said:
II wish to declare the opinion that the
United States has reached point where
one of her highest duties is to enlarge the
area of its foreign trade. Under the beneti-
cent policy of protection we have devel-
oped a volume of manufactures which, in
many departments overruns the business
of the home market. In the field of agri-
culture, with the immense propulsion given
far more than produce breadstuffs
and provisions for our own people;
nor would it be an ambitious
destiny for SO great q country as ours to
or to produce only what We can eat, We
are. already. in many fabrics and in many
products, far beyond that and our great de-
mand is expansion. 1moan expansion of
trade with countries where We can find
profitable exchanges. We are not seeking
annexation of territory. Certainly we do
not desire it unless it should come by the
vOlition of people who might ask the
priceless boon of place under the flag of
the Union. feel sure that for long time
to come the people of the United States
will be wisely content with our present
area and not touch upon any scheme of an
nexation. At the same time think We
should be unwisely content il we did not
seek to engage In what the younger Pltt so
well termed annexation of trade.
For nearly thirty years now the United
States has had the great advantage OF
protective tariff-by far the longest un-
broken period that this industrial policy
has been in force since the federal govern
ment was organized. Happily, the great
majority of our people, without strict re-
gard to party lines believe that the results
to the American people from the protective
policy have been intellectually beneficent
aggregating in quarter of century ma
tiOnal and individual wealth beyond any, =
thing ever dreamed of before in the history
of the world. do not mention protection
because do otintend to speak IN reference
Ss psrtnsns n'sdsss soas' t merely nSs an mish 1n
to proclaim its victories. Without
protection the United States would have
Oeen poor indeed after the & ravages of the
everv section has flOurished and prOspered.
grown and gained. Even where revenue
duties have been laid with no expectation
of developing industries there have. in
industrial results. The heavy duty on silk
was levied primarily not for protection.
but simply to secure large revenue from
one of the luxuries of the rich; but as
consequence of the duty the silk industry
has increased so rapidly that it constitutes
one of the leading fabrics of New Jersey.
one of the largest manufacturing States of
the Union. / could readily advance other
illustrations to the same effect.
OUR IMPORTS AND EXPORTS.
''As have already intimated, am here
to speak of the expansion Of our foreign
trade, not by any novel process. not by any
mode that will shock or disturb home in
dustries. not by any mode that will invite
our people to rash experiments OF that
will launch us in doubtful and dangerous
investments. What l mean to speak Of
briefly is system of reciprocity, not in
conflict with protective tariff. but sup
Elementary thereto and presenting o field
OF enterprise that will richly repay the ef-
fort and energy of the American people.
I'VE shall find it instructive and valua-
BILE to examine into the sources of our i'm
ports and the destination of our exports.
and to strike a balance between the two.
Take last year-1SS9. In that year our
whole exports to all the countries in the
Africa. and to Australia. Canada and
Hawaii amounted, in round num-
bers. to S65S. 100000: and our imports
from all these countries amounted
IN round numbers to $529. 100000. showing
that from that vast trade we had q balance
of Sl29, 900, 900 in our favor. equivalent to
that amount of gold among our people.
But when all the accounts were closed. in
stead of having Sl29. 100000 in our favor,
from our foreign trade. We must therefore
have lost Sl42, 600 in our commerce with
the countries outside of those to which |
have referred. Where could we have found
such q large adverse balancei Let me tell
you; we lost forty-One millions In Cuba,
and to which our exports were only S11,-
OO0. 900. Forty-One millions Is pretty large
sum to loose in one island in single year.
In the republic of Brazil we lost
Brazil were S6OO0O0O0; our exports
to Brazil were S9.0O0.O00. In Mexico we lost
Sl0.O00.000. Our imports from Mexico were
81, ,000, 600; our exports tn Mexico were $11,-
countries south of us, both insular and con-
tinental. on this hemisphere. were S216.-
600 900: our exports to them were S14 G0O, 000
The balance against us In our trade with
those countries therefore. is Sl42, ,0O0. 900. ex-
ceeding our gains from all tho rest OF the
world by S13.000.0
WAR TARIFF NOT IN FORCE.
selves into the belief that our trade with
our American neighbors Is in a prosperous
condition How can this state of affairs be
remedied? You have heard great deal
said within the past ten years by our DEM
ocratic friends about the iniquity of the
Republican party keeping up the war
tariff. AS q matter of fact. the
war tariff has not been kept up.
but has been amended over and over
again until the revision of 1888 left scarcely
trace of the actual tariff that was in op-
Grafton at the close of the war and for q
few years afterwards. During the war we
were compelled TO tax almost everything in
the air. in the water. on the earth and un-
der the earth. The necessities of the gov
ernment were so great that we could allow
scarcely anything TO be imported without
paying tribute, and l think no patriotic
man can deny that that was a wise policy
We were not then studying the philosophy
Of trade relations but how TO save the life
of the Nation. Money was the prime
necessity, and we seized it wherever we
] could reach it lawfully; but during the last
! eighteen years u great change has been
| made.
so entirely has the war tariff been abol-
! ished that in the fiscal year ending June
! So 1889, the articles admitted free were con-
| siderahly more than one third of all the
| imports. To be exact the imported articles
| that paid duty exceeded S4SS 600 900 in value,
and the imported articles that paid no duty
exceeded S.56, ,00O, 900 in value. The inevi-