The Louisiana Democrat., 1891-03-18
RECIPROCITY PRINCIPLES.
A Necessary Substitute for Doomed Pro

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A Necessary Substitute for Doomed Pro-
lection.
James G. Blaine keeps his ear close
to the ground and is man of great in
genuity. 1t was habit which enabled
him to discover in advance the doom of
protection and a quality that empow-
cred him to face about without SEEM
ing to turn. He has substituted reci-
procity for protection with all the deft-
ness of a conjurer transforming copper
pennies into silver quarters. What is
reciprocity? Free trade based upon
protection principles.
According to protectionists it is preju-
dicial to the people of a nation to re-
ceive more goods from the people of any
other nation than they send to those
people. Or, in the language of polit-
ical economy, if exports and imports
between two nations do not offset each
other the nation which imports more
than it exports is afflicted with IAN ad-
verse balance of trade" This is kind
of affiiction which an individual might
bear with considera bic equanimity, but
protectionists regard it as species of
commercial tuberculosis when the in
dividuals of country are concerned as
an aggregation; and, notwithstanding
the fact that Ireland has long had
balance of trade in her favor" coun-
tries are supposed to be impoverished
by importing and enriched by export
ing. Influenced by this middle age no.
ton, Mr.. Blaine proposes that we be
not allowed to order what we want from
another country unless the government
of that country permits its people to or
der what they want from US. But wher-
ever this reciprocal arrangement can
be effected Mr.. Blaine would proclaim
free trade. What if our workingmen
are thrown out of employment by the
influx of pauper-made goods? What if
the farmer is deprived of his home mar
ket? What if our industries are pre-
vented by foreign competition from di-
versifying? What if steel rails do rise
to one hundred and sixty dollars ton
and calico to thirty cents a yard? What
if wire nails do once more rival gold in
price? Every objection to free trade
disappears provided, forsooth, the free
trade is reciprocal! AS if it would not
be reciprocal if protection were abol-
ished.
What virtue is there in reciprocity
that does not attach in far greater per-
fant;n,, 10 f,oo {vo - L.
any difference to the people of this
country whether their imports from
Brazil are offset by exports to Brazil
or by exports to countries with which
Brazil trades? If we import more
from Brazil than we export to that
country we pay the difference by means
of drafts based on commodities shipped
elsewhere. From other countries we
import less than we export to them,
and similarly they pay the difference
in drafts. So far as current trade is
concerned there is no such thing as
continuous difference when all parties
to the commercial relation are consid-
cred. The people of one nation may be
indebted to those of another, but third
will be indebted to that, andsin the
general settlement there is general
balance. 1t is only when people in one
country pay debts to those in another,
or make loans to them, or make gifts
to foreign friends, or remit rents to
nonresident landlords, that the even
balance of trade is disturbed. And
then it is not the country that exports
the difference but the country that i'm
ports the difference that is enriched.
These principles understood, it is
clear that free trade is reciprocity But
it is natural reciprocity-natural as be-
ing governed by the natural inclinatiors
of the people instead of arbitrary rules.
And natural reciprocity does not lay
foundation for subsidizing steamship
lines; while that is precisely what
Blaine's reciprocity does. 1t is this
that makes it popular with protection
lists, who are socialists to the extent of
wanting government to build ships and
contribute to the expense of sailing
them, but indiv dualists when it comes
to ownership, management, and dis
tribution of profits. Chicago Times.