Fergus County argus., 1890-09-11

The Great Statesman Elucidatss His View
on the Subject Of Special Reciprocity.

| James u. Blame made n great speech
at Waterville, Me-, last week, i'm which
he fully explained his views on reci
procity. The following extract con.
tains the most important points:
"For nearly thirty years now the
United States has had the great ad-
vantage OF a protective tariff. Its in.
dustrial policy has been enforced since
the federal government was organized
Happily the great majority of the
people, without strict regard to party
lines, believe the results to the Ameri-
can people from the protective policy
has been incalculably beneficient, ag-
gregating u quarter of century OF ma
tional and individual wealth beyond
anything ever dreamed of before in the
history of the world.
81 do not mention this protection
because ! intend to speak in reference
thereto before this audience. That
would he n needless il not an imperti-
nent effort. ] merely wish to proclaim
its victories. Without protection the
United States would have been poor
indeed. After the ravages of war,
from 1861 to 1865, with protection
every section fOurished and pros
pered, grew and gained. Even where
the revenue duties had been laid with
no expectation OF developing indus
tries, there have in many instances
been great financial and industrial re-
suits. A heavy duty on silk was lev
led, primarily not for protection, but
simply to secure large revenue from
one OF the luxuries of the rich. But as
n consequence the silk industry in
creased so rapidly that it constituted
one of the leading fabrics of New Jer-
sey, one of the largest manufacturing
states in the Union. ! could readily
advance other illustrations to the
same effect.
"As have already intimated, I am
here to speak Of the expansion OF our
foreign trade, not by any novel pro-
cess, not by any mode that will shock
or disturb home industries, not by any
mode that will invite our people to
rash experiments, or that will launch
us in doubtful and dangerous expert.
ments. What ] mean to speak of
briefly is the system OF reciprocity.
Not in conflict with the protective
tariff, but supplementary thereto, and
presenting q field Of enterprise that
will richly repay the efforts and energy
OF the American people. we shall find
it instructive and valuable to ex famine
into the sources OF our imports and
the destination OF our exports, and to
strike a balance between the two.
'"raks the last year, 1889. In that
year our whole exports to ALL cOun-
tries in the three continents, Europe,
Asia and Africa, and Aust ralia, Can
ada and Hawaii. amounted in round
numbers to $65S 900, 900, and our
imports from all these countries
amounted in round numbers to $52y,-
600, 900, showing that from that vast
trade We had a balance OF $129,OOO
600 in our favor, equivalent to that
amount IN gold to our people. But
when all accounts are closed, instead
OF having 1929, 100000 in our favor,
we had a balance of $4,000, 900
against us from our foreign trade. We
must therefore have lost 81 AZ, ,OOO, 900
in our commerce with countries out
side OF those to which have referred.
Where could We have found such a
large adverse balance? Let me tell
you. We lost Si1 ,OOOO, 900 IN Cuba,
from which its imports were $50, ,OOO,-
900 and to which our exports were
only $ll 100000. Forty-one million
dollars is a pretty large sum to lose i'm
one island in a single year.
In the republic OF Brazil we left $751;
100000. Our exports to Brazil was
$4,000, 900. In Mexico we lost $1O,.
100000. Imports from Mexico, $21,-
100000; exports to Mexico, 81 l ,OOO,-
900.
To sum it all up. our imports from
the countries south of us were $216,-
100000, our exports to them were
S74,OOO,OOO. The balance against us
in our trade with these countries
therefore is SLAP 200, 900, exceeding
our gains from the rest OF the world
by $13,OOO,OOO. BY no figure OF
speech can we fatter ourselves into
the belief that our trade with our
American neighbors is in a prosperous
condition. How can this state of
affairs he remedied? You have heard
great deal said within the past ten
years by our Democratic friends about
the iniquity OF the Republican party
keeping up n war tariff. As matter
oi 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 operation at the close OF
the war and for few years afterward.
'During the war We were compelled
to tax almost everything in the air, in
the water, on the earth and under the
earth. The necessities OF the govern
ment were so great that we could not
al 800 hi ~ tsx
ported without paying tribute, and !
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 a prime ne
cesslty, and we seized it whenever we
could reach it lawfully. But during
the last eighteen years a great change
has been made. So entirely has the
war tariff been abolished that in the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1889. the
articles admitted free were consider
ably more than one-third OF all the
imports. To be exact, the imported
articles that paid duty exceeded $iSS,-
600, 900 in values, and imported
articles that paid no duty exceeded
1886, 100000 i'm value.
"'rhe inevitable tendency is, I think,
toward an increase OF the free list
Our great mistake was made when we
began to repeal the war duties on so
large an amount OF the imports that
any duty repealed was farce and an
advantage to the exporting country,
and we have asked nothing in return.
Instead OF this course, which I must
say was one of carelessness and waste
fulness by both political parties, every
repeal OF duty should have been pre-
ceded by most thorough investiga-
tion and wherever it was found prac-
ticable to export anything from the
United states and thus establish a
reciprocity OF trade, it should be done.
] do not OF course intend to declare or
imply we could have secured the free
il 80