The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1890-06-27
BLAINE ON RECIPROCITY.

The Secretary Of State Writes . Letter
Showing what This Country Might Do
With Proper Steamship Communication.
WASHINGTON, June 20.-President
Harrison has transmitted to Congress
letter from Secretary Blaine upon the
suggestion of the Customs Union and
recommendations in respect thereto by
the Pan-American conference.
Secretary Blaine in his letter briefly
reviews the proceedings of the confer
ence, which declared that partial re-
ciprocity between the American Repub-
lies was not only practicable, but would
necessarily increase the trade and de-
velopment of the material resources OF
the countries accepting that system and
would in all probability bring about as
favorable results as those obtained by
free trade among the different States of
this Union and recommended, there
fore, that the several Governments rep
resented negotiate reciprocity treaties
upon such a basis as would be accept
able in each case, taking into consid-
GRAFTON the special situations, condi-
lions and interests Of each country and
with view to promote their common
welfare" Mr.. Blaine writes:
Only those who have given the sub 'ect
careful study realize the magnitude of the
commerce of these sister nations In 1888
the combined imports OF Chill and the
Argentine Republic reached the enormous
sum of 1888 l27 ,69e. The statist cs Of Gillian
commerce for 1859 have not yet been re-
ceived, but the imports of the Argentine
Republic for that year were S163, 100000.
These imports consisted in the greater part
of articles that could have been furnished
by the manufacturers of the United States,
yet in 1888 of the total of s233, 100000 imports
we contributed but 81, 600 600, while England
contributed 500 OO0. 0O0 Germany sl3, 0OO, 600
and France s34,O0O.000.
With our extraordinary increase in popu-
lation, and the even more extraordinary in
crease in material wealth, our progress In
trade with South America has been strange
ly hindered and limited. In 1868 our total
exports to all the world were S375, 735, 600 of
which $50, lO7, 600 went to Spanish America
II per cent. In 1888 our exports to all the
world were s142 36s O00 ian increase of 100 per
cent }, while but SIS, "a, 900 went to Spanish
America, little more than 9per cent, and the
greatest gain (s9 ,OO0, O0O) has been noticed
during the last two years.
- 1t was the unanimous judgment Of the del
and to the other Republics could be in.
creased to great degree by the negotia-
ton OF such treaties as are recommended by
the conference. The practical, every day
experience of our merchants engaged in the
trade demonstrates beyond question that
in all classes of merchandise which we have
long and successfully produced for export,
they are able to compete with their Euro
pean rivals in quality and in price,
and the reiterated statements that our
Latin American neighbors do not buy of us
because we do not buy of them, or because
We tax their products. has been annually
contradicted by the statistics of our COM
merce for quar- ter of a century. The lack
OF means for reaching their markets has
been the chief obstacle i'm the way Of in
creased exports. The carrying trade has
been controlled by European merchants,
who have forbidden an exchange on COM
modities. The merchandise we sell in South
America is carried there in American
ships, or foreign ships chartered by
American commission houses. The mer-
chandise we buy in South America is
brought to us in European vessels, that
never take return cargoes, but sail for Liv-
erpool, Havre, Bremen or Hamburg, with
wheat, corn and cotton. There they load
again with manufactured goods for the
South American markets and continue their
triangular voyages, paying for the food they
are compelled to buy of US with the pro-
ceeds of the sale of their manufactures in
IN Erkets that we could, would supply, if we
controlled the carrying trade.
There is no direct steamship communica-
ton whatever between the United States
and the Argentine Republic and there are
no direct banking facilities. The inter
national American conference has earnestly
recommended the establishment of BOTH
but reciprocal exchanges of tariff conces- /
sions will be equally effective in stimulating
and increasing the ex port of the
products of which we have the largest sur
plus, not only to the progressive Republic
named, but to all the other American
Nations. The conference believed that
while great profit would come to all the
il reciprocity treaties should
be adopted, the United States would
be by far the greatest gamer. Nearly
all the articles we export to our neighbors
are subjected to heavy custom taxes-so
heavy in many cases as to prohibit their
by the masses of the people
On the other hand more than 81 per cent of
our imports from Latin America are admit
ted free, leaving but IL per cent. upon which
duties may still be removed. But mindful OF
the fact that the United States has from time
to time removed the duties from coffee,
cocoa and India rubber, hides, cinchona
bark, dye and cabinet woods and other |
Latin American products, our Government |
may confidently ask the concessions sug-
yested.
The increased exports would be drawn |
alike from our farms, our factories and our |
forests. None of the Latin American coun- |
tries produce building lumber; the most of |
them are dependent upon foreign markets |
Tor their breadstuff5 and provisi ons, and in |
lew is there any opportunity or inclination |
Tor mechanical industry. The effect of such |
reciprocity would be felt in every portion |
of the land.
In closing his letter the Secretary
says: Fifteen of the seventeen Repub-
les with which we have been in confer
ence have indicated by the votes of
heir representatives in the information
u American conference and by other
which it is not necessary to de-
Inc, their desire to enter upon recip-
'ocal commercial relations with the
United States; the remaining two ex-
press equal willingness could they be
assured that their advance would be ia
Vorably considered"
Heavy Rain at Atchison.
ATCHIsON, Kan, June 20.-The hard
st and most destructive rain storm that