The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1890-12-04
NUMBER 81.
EXPORTS.

OW,Wb greater than the preceding year, hnu
was only exceeded once In our history. About
900 of this excess was in agricultural
products. The production of pig lron-al
ways a good gauge of general prosperlty-is
shown by recent census bulletin to have
been l53 per cent. greater in 1880 than in
1850. and the production of steel 200 per cent.
greater Mining in coal has had no limita.
tion except that resulting from deficient
transportation. The general testimony is
that labor IL everywhere fully employed, and
the reports for the last year show Il smaller
nnmbcr of employees affected by strikes and
depression in the prices OF agri:
cultural products hdv,t had been .n greatly realty
fui fi'n tone was as beginning 10 II be @ i"it by all
our people. These promising influences
have been in some degree checked by the
events which have recently taken place in
England: 1t Is gratifying to know that
these dd mot grow any arErrS 2%
| with our people, or out OF any dis
stocks was caused by money strinRcnry IN
England, not by any loss of value or credit
| in the securities themselves. We could not,
however, wholly escape the Ill effects
| of foreign monetary agitati on, accom-
characterized this. 1t is not believed, how
! ever. that these evil incidents, which have
| for the time unfayoraDiy affected values in
| this country, can long withstand the strong,
| safe and wholesome influences which arc
operating to give our people profitable re,
turns in all branches OF Legitimate trade and
| industry. The apprehension that our tariff
may again and at once be submitted to i'm
| portant general change, would undoubtedly
| add n depressing influence OF the most sc.
| rious character.
THE MKINLEY TARIFF.
The General Tariff act has only partially
gone into operation, some of It's inpnrtant
dates yet in the future. The general pro
visions of the law have been in force less
trade and prices stl stand in conject
ure. 1t is curious to note that the
advance in the price Of rr,d ARTICLES wn0i, ns
act Notice wa. not taken of the fact that
| the general tendency of the markets was up
| ward from influences wholly apart from the
recent tariff legislltinn. The .i&rErmcIS
| gave an upward tendency to trade and had
| marked effect on prices but this natural and
| desired effect of the silver legislation WAS by
many crrUneusly attributed to the IhflH
| act.
TARIFF REVISION.
There Is neither wisdom nor suggestion
| that the subject of tariff revision snail be
opened before this law has had fair trial
| 1t is quite true that every tariff schedule is
| subject to objections. NO bill was ever
| framed. suppose, that in all of its rates and
| clnssiticatiuns had the fun approval even of
| party caucus, such legislation is always
| and necessarily the product of compromise
as to details, and the present law is no
| exception. But, in its general scope
and effect, think, it wil-Nustty the sup
| port OF those who believe that american leg
| islation should conserve and defend Amer
| lean trade and the wages OF American work
| men.
| The msinformation as to the terms of the
| act which has been So widely disseminated
at home and abroad, Will be corrected by cA-
| pcricncc and the evil augurics as to it, results
| vOnioundcd by the market reports, the saw
| ngs banks, international trade balances ana
| the general prosperity of our people. Already
| We begin to hear from abroad ana from
| our custom houses that the prohibtory effect
| upon hnportatons imputed to the act Is not
| Justified The imports ut the port OF New
| York for the first three weeks oil November
| were nearly : per cent. greater than Tor the
| same period III 1851 and - per cent greater
than IN the same period of ls,S. And so far
| from being an act to limit exports, conii-
IDENTIFY believe that under it we shall sccwrea
larger and more profitable participation III
foreign trade than we have ever enjoyed, ana
| that we shall recover II propurIohat1 par
ticpatiOn in the ocean carrying trade OF the
| world.
| rRoHIDIToRr or RErALIAToRY LEGISLATION.
| There is no disposition among amy of oui
people to promote prohhitory or rcthliatory
| legislation. our pullctr are adopted not to
| the hurt OF others, but to s"curcl"r ourselves
| those advantages that fairly grow out of our
favored position az matinn, oHr i"r,m "i
suffrage, makes it imperative that We shall
save uur working prupl" from the agitations
and distrcsscs " nCh svdnt work and wages
that have no margin iur comfort always
| get. But attJr all tL.s Is done, 1t VIII pc
} found that our markets are open to friendly
commercial exchanges Ol enormous value
to the other great Powers.
RECIPROCITY.
, 1hrrc were Dnt Two llltthouS OF oDlalnInA
control of this question open to Congress
To place all these articles upon the dutiHblc
list subject to such treaty agreements rs
could be secured, or to place them all pres
entity upon the free list, but subject To- the re
imposition OF spocincd duties if the coun.
, | tries from which We receive them should re
fuse to give US suitable reciprocal benefits.
This latter method, think, possesses great
adyan,ascs. IL cNprr',GS IN advance
rimgcncnts affecting these products which
I must have otherwise been delayed and IN
tstti tt.slh
the senate and the necessary irgiNllt'nn en-,
acted 10y Congress. Experience has shown
7 | that some treaties looking to reciprocal
= trade huv" failed to secure t%o-thrd vote
\ in the senate Tor ratification, ANA oth-
, crs having PASSED th.t stag nave ior
y years awaited the concurrence OF the House
and senate in such notifications ui our rev.
cnuc laws as were necessary to give eject 10
1 renee of both Houses in advance in n dis
y tinct and definite offer of free entry to
!, our ports OF specific articles. The EX.
| ccutiVe Is not required to deal in CON
u lecture us to what Congress Will nc.
= ccpt. Indeed this reciprocity provision
i | is more than AN offer. our part of the bar
gain Is complete; delivery has been made,
and when the countries from which we re
+ placed on their free lists such of our products
y is shall be agreed upon, as AN equivalent for
T. our concession, prncihihatinh Oh tii'at @ iaet
q | completes the transaction, ana in the mean
= time our own people have tree sugar tea,
It coffee and hides
NEW LEGISLATION.
>, | In addition to the important Dllls that be
!. | came Laws before the adjournment Of the last
~ session, some other bills of the highest i'm.
), purtance were well advanced toward a final
vote and now stand upon the calendars OF
the two Houses in favored positions. me
present session has II liked limit, ana II
% these measures are not now brought
10 to IA final vote all the work that has been
g done upon them by this Congress Is lost.
. The proper consideration of these, of an OPP
y portionment bill and of the annual nppro.
u priation bills will require not only that no
~ working day Of the session shall be lost, but
l. that measures OF minor and local interest
shall not be allowed tn interrupt or rctard
the progress of those that are Of universal
y | interest. In view of these conditions, ]
e refrain from bringing before you at
,l this time some Suggestions that
j. would otherwise be made, and most earn
z estly invoke your attention to thG duty OF
l. | perfecting the important legislation now
IT well advanced, to some of these measures
Il | which seem to ME most important | now
T. | briefly call your attention.
u AMERICAN STEAMSHIP LINE.
Il Idesire to repeat with added urgency the
N ] recommendations contained in my last nnnu.
N | al message in relation to the developments OF
N American steamship lines. The reciproctty
t. | clause of the Tariff bill will be largely limit
ed, and its benefits retarded and diminished
if prov yison IL not contcmporancOusly made
to encourage the establishment OF hrst class
,s steam communication between our ports ana
70 the ports OF such nations as may meet our
" overtures for enlarged commercial e&'
Is changes.
l. THE AUSTRALIAN MAIL.
l. The present situation of our mail commu.
y nicatiOn with Australia illustrates the i'm
lr portance of early action by Congress. The
er ! Oceanic steamship Company maintains n
r. line of steamers between san Francisco sgd
So ney and Auckland, consisting of three YES
al n