The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1890-09-01
Mr.. Mckinley Has Favored the Policy from the
First, and Speaker Reed Bows 10 the
Weight of Emphatic Public Sentiment.
Brazil and Other Sugar-Growing Coun-
tries Are Agreeable to the New Idea.
Industries that Will Be Most Affected-Prod-
ucts Not Sold Cheaper Abroad than at
Home-MakiDg the Senators Work.
RECIPROCITY AGREED TO.
Mckinley Heartily in Favor of It-PopuIar
ity of the Policy.

WASHINGTON, Aug. 81. - Mr. Blaine's
proposition to make the removal of the
sugar duty the basis of reciprocity treaties
with the sugar-growing nations of the
world will be adopted by Congress. and the
the tariff bill will be amended accordingly.
The Republican leaders of the House have
expressed their assent and there will be no
struggle between them and the Senate.
This decision was reached yesterday at
conference between Mr.. Aldrich and Mr..
Allison from the one side and Mr.. Mckinley
and Speaker Reed from the other.
Mr.. Mckinley accepted the proposition
with great coriiality. He has been be-
lever in the theory of reciprocity
all his life, and, when Mr.. Blaine
made the proposition to the committee on
ways and means on the 10th of February
last he argued earnestly in favor of its
adoption. and voted for it, but was over
ruled by his colleagues on the committee.
The Speaker accepts the situation with re-
luctance. The suggestions of Mr.. Blaine
have been received with so much favor
throughout the country, they have been so
universally applauded by all classes of
people of all shades of political opinion,
and have been Endorsed so heartily and
spontaneously by the commercial organize
tions everywhere, and by Republican con-
ventions in several of the States
and many congressional dIstrits, by the
Farmers Alliance, and the State oranges,
and the knights of Labor. that even the
Speaker, with his boundless courage and
unterrified nerve. has been compelled to bow
his head to the will of the people and march
in procession that is led by the other
man from Maine.
This result has not been reached, how
ever. without some effective work by the
President. When he returned from Cape
May after his celebrated conference with
Mr.. Blaine. he was very much inclined
to send message to Congress advising
against the removal of the sugar
duty without at least inviting the
sugar growing nations to give Us some con-
cessions in favor of our products in return,
but there was an earnest protest from Mr..
Reed and other persons against an execu-
tive declaration on this subject. The Pres
ident al crcs decided that he could ac-
complish his purpose better by private in
fiuence than by public argument, and has
since taken every opportunity to persuade
the members of Congress that reciprocity
is the best policy. and that the Repu blican
party cannot 60 before the people with free
sugar and nothing in return. No PROPOSE
ton advanced in this country for years has
received such universal approval. 1t
seems to have struck the public instantly
as a sensible, b usiness-like suggestion, and
the number of letters that MEM
ssS' of G0nSass hSys r ss on
but the mails have been burdened
with them. The petition box at the House
also has been filed almost daily with petit
tions and memorials on the subject, and
nearly every board of trade and other COM
to San Francisco, has passed resolutions
favoring the policy. 1t took at once. too,
with the Farmers Alliance and among the
Changers, and these organizations which
have such powerful political influence have
expressed their views in an unmistakaDle
manner.
The unanimity of newspapers, too. has
been something remarkable. The Demo
cratic, organs were misled at first
Washington concerning radical differences
of opinion between the President
and his Secretary of state on the subject
and predicted the latters resignation from
the Cabinet. 1t was also reported that Mr..
of criticism upon his public utterances by
other leaders of the party. To encourage
and widen what was supposed to be a di-
vision in the Republican ranks, the Demo-
cratic organs at once began to applaud
Blaine and shout for reciprocity, and for
once the Republican newspapers and those
of the opposition were in accord on q cues
ton of public policy. No proposition has
been so extensively discussed for years.
Newspaper clippings on the subject have
been collected by persons here, and ten
great scrap-boOks have been filled
with them. Nearly every article
has been in favor of the idea. and
have tried to hedge and raise doubts as to
the effect of the policy, the great majority
have adhered to their original position and
approve the amendment of the tariff bill in
the manner indicated by Mr.. Blaine.
Blaine's reciprocity letter has been enorm-
GUS. His communication to Congress
has been printed as public docu-
ment. like all other executive mes
sages, and the Department. of State. as
we'll as the members, of Congress, has been
overwhelmed with calls for il. Several
clerks have been kept busy for weeks in
answering these calls, and 1t is probable
that 100, 900 copies have been sent out In re-
Spouse to them.
The Senate will take up the sugar sched-
ule on Tuesday next. and the Aldrich
amendment. which was formulated after
long and serious discussion i'm the commit
tee on finance and consultation with the
leaders of both houses. will be adopted
The only man of the Republican side of the
Senate who is known TO be opposed to it is
Mr. Evarts. and he has only expressed
doubts of the constitutional right of Con-
gress to delegate its legislative authority
in matters,concerning the public revenues
to the executive. The Nebraska Senators
will endeavor to have the proposition
amended so as to provide for q bounty to
the producers of beet-sugar and for the ad-
mission of beet-sngar machinery free of
duty. and several other amendments
are likely to be suggested, but the
Aldrich resolutions Will be added to the
tariff bill very nearly as they are. The Dem
ocrats will try to amend them first so as to
include Canada in the reciprocal negotia-
tons; then so as to make the reciprocity
proposition general to all the world, and on
| all articles of merchandise: and third, so as
| to include wool among the articles enumer-
| ated.
| Mr.. Mckinley has announced his will
| ingness to accept the amendment when it
| comes to the House. and other members of
| the committee on ways and means concur
| with him. The Speaker. W ho has until now
been determined In his opposition, has
| agreed to do nothing to defeat the measure.
| although he will not do anything to help
| it through. There are still several prom
| inent Republicans in the House tho object
IN the a.uandmeut and sdecIara that fhev