The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1891-10-02
sLAin !ses RECIPROCITY.
ne oriDl Paeson Taking the wind

eLAiN { r0SEs RECIPROCITY. |
rAs ostJl T. s5ion Taking the wind |
~ Ains's sails.
w. Iai$ and Mr.. Harrison
arv Be the country ss the
- a,e great reciprocity
~ Rext appears and
~ t5en either Of
wh5 "a s'5sl !Eess5: = SSSsd V ~
exhausted his entire brain fofce on his
education bill, now points draraatical-
ly to the Congressional Record, page
2,9s6, February 90, 1888, and asks the
public TO read the reciprocity amend
ment which he offered 10 the tariff bill
OF that year. 1t may be that Mr.. Blair
was the original champion of reciproci-
~, but where his effort was fatally
defective was in its not being offered
as a measure for the relief Of the farm
err That is the central feature of the
present reciprocity boom-the theory
on which it is expected TO counteract
free trade sentiment-the pretense by
which the western states are to be
duped into continued tribute to the
millionaire manufacturers of the east
II is not very strange that Mr.. Blair
did not regard his anne ndment at the
time as distinctly agr arian measure,
but II is remarkable that after Mr..
Blaines lucid explanations, and after
all the putting of the South American
market as the true outlet for
all our surplus grain, Mr.. Blair still re-
CARDS reciprocity as the special prop
erty of the manufacturer, and says so
with a recklessness that must be APP
paling 20 his republican allies. In a
recent published letter he states:
by the allowance Of drawback upon foreign
material, subject TO duty and sold in foreign
markets, our labor and capital are placed upon
an equality in competition with all foreign
production In all foreign markets, so far as Is
possible without reducing the wages OF labor
and legitimate returns upon capital In this
country, and thus the principal objection TO the
protective system, towit. that by the duty up
on raw material IL prevents competition OF
American manufacturers in foreign markets, Is
removed, while all the advantages Of protec-
tion TO our home market are retained
Special Industries had already been favored
but this section which. when proposed 1t in
1883 was pronounced Revolutionary abolishes
that favoritism in a general privilege and an
enlarged public policy which brings the Amer
lean manufacturer 10 the foreign market upon
the most favorable conditions which even free
trade in foreign materials will permit"
This is all that Mr.. Blair can see
in reciprocity-an extension of the
privilege by which the manufacturer
has hitherto received free raw materi-
ais FOR the purpose of competition In
foreign markets, and Mr. Blair is
right There is nothing more in II. |
The manufacturer will now get free |
raw materials for his goods whether
sold at home or abroad He will have
specially favored market in the
countries that enter into this arrange
ment with our government. He will
still have all the advantages of fiat
prices in this country. But what helps
the farmer in the competition in
foreign markets? He pays more than
ever for his clothing, his tools, and his
supplies of all kinds. Is il any benefit
to him that our agricultural imple
ments are scld TO foreign agriculturists
for less than they can be bought by
him? Is it any benefit to him that the
farmers If other countries should get
the benefit of the competition of the
world in all manufactured articles
they use, while he is sacrificed to the
greed Of American manufacturers?
Give the farmer free trade in the raw
materials he needs and he will need no
protective legislation. Put him on an
with his rivals in foreign
and he can take care of him
self--Indianapolis Sentinel.