Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-30
ency is, think, toward an increase Of the
f-sa Ia
WING WITHOUT TAKING.

GIVING WITHOUT TAKING
ss'Our great mistake vas made when we began
20 repeal the war duties on % large an amount
Of imports. Any duty repealed was favor and
an advantage to the exporting country and vs
have asked nothing in return. Instead Of this
course, which must say was ONE Of careless
ness and wastefuness by both political parties,
every repeal OF duty should have been pre-
coded by most thorough Investigation, and
whenever IL was found practicable 70 export
anything from the United States and thus es-
tablish reciprocity OF trade il should have been
done. ! do not. OF course intend to declare or
to imply that we could have secured the free
admission Of S25s. 000, 900 Of American prod
nets into countries whose products We pur-
chase annually to that amount The richer
country cannot expect to get complete rec
lprocity in amount from countries less wealthy.
but whatever We should have received would
nave been a clear gain. and in nli future repeats
OF duties whatever We may be able to get will
be clear gain. 1t is not q question OF setting
deliberately TO work to establish reciprocal ex-
changes But with all the duties we have thus
Tar repealed it has been question Of whether
we should get something or get nothing. We
have chosen. with our eyes closed to get moth.
ing: 1 hope now. with our eyes open. that we
shall In future choose to get something.
GROUNDS OF OPPOSITION
"Wo encounter opposition to this policy from
those who declare that if we enter into rec
iprocity of trade with one country we must do
SO with all countries, and thus indirectly bring
about complete free trade. l do not see the
logic of this, and / am sure the fact will not
prove what is predicted. We may enter into
reciprocity with one nation because we find ao-
van.a e in It, We may decline to enter into
reciprocity with another nation because we see
no advantage in it. Reciprocity il simply a
policy Of circumstance, to be determined favor
ably or adversely according rs its operation
may make or lose for us. To say that because
we enter into reciprocal relations with one
country on one thing we must enter into re-
ciprocal relations with all other countries on
all things Is to my mind as absurd as to say
that II l buy horse today must necessarily
buy drove OF asses tomorrow. All objections
OF that kind are, am sure, unfounded and will
not stand the test OF argument or practical
trial.
''Our people do not realize the great fact that
II specie payment ia ENDANGERED in this
country it is likely to be endangered py our pres
ent system of trade with the Latin-American
states The few millions Of gold that have
gone out OF this country within the last three
months have created uneasiness in certain
quarters as to our financial position. 1t il
very extraordinary that the loss Of these
millions from banks i'll Wall street should be
accounted so serious an event when we have
lost much larger amount during the same
period from the condition of our trade with
the countries south of US without exciting the
least, observation. When our merchants and
bankers come to thoroughly appreciate this
fact we shall receive aid and influence in the
reform OF our trade from quarter which thus
far it has been impossible to enlist"
MR.. LODGE on THE FORCE BILL.
The large audience listened with the pro-
foundest attention, and his speech met with
great approval. Hon. W. E. Mason of Illinois
followed indorsing in an enthusiastic speech
the principles Of reciprocal trade. The meet
ing closed with an earnest speech by Hon.
Henry Cabot Lodge, advocating before the
people the federal election bill. warning the
voters that the government must protect all
Its citizens in the right to vote. HIS presence
was unexpected, and the people greeted him
with warm welcome. About 2,5O8 persons
were present.