Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1891-01-01

aSkT strikes ana loCk@0nfk than Iii amy year
I since 1854. The depression In the prices or
agricultural products has been greatly re-
lieved and q bouyant and hopeful tone
/ was beginning to be felt by all our people.
These promising Influences have been lin
| some degree checked by the surprising and
very nnfavorable monetary events which
| have recently taken place In England. lit
| 10 gratifying 10 know that these did not
1 grow In any degree out OF financial Pela~
/ tions with our people, or out OF any dis
/ credit attached 20 our securities held In
/ that market. The return of our bonds and
1 stocks was caused by money stringencs in
/ England. not by any loss OF value or credit
In the securities themselves. We could
not, however, wholly escape the ill-efects
OF foreign monetary agitation. accom-
| panied By such extraordinary incidents as
! characterized this. It is not believed, how
| ever, that these evil incidents which have
4 for the time unfavorably affected values In
4 this country, can long Withstand the strong,
! safe and wholesome Influences which are
| operating to give to our people profitable
returns In all branches OF legitimate trade
| and industry.
The apprehension that our tariff may
| again and at once be subjected tn impor-
| tant general changes would undoubtedly
add depressing influence of the most seri-
ous character, The general tariff act has
| only partially gone into operation, some OF
| take effect at dates yet In the future. The
| general provisions OF the law have been in
! force less than sixty days. Its permanent
effect upon trade and prices still largely
stands In conjecture. 1t Ii curious 10 note
! that the advance in the prices OF articles
wholly Unaffected by the tariff act was by
many hastily ascribed to that act Notice
was not taken of the fact that the general
| tendency OF the markets was upward from
influences wholly apart from the recent
| tariff legislation. The enlargement OF our
currency by the silver bill undoubtedly
a marked effect on prices. but this natural
and desired effect OF the silver
legislation was by many errO-
| neously attributed to the tariff act.
There Is neither wisdom nor Justice In tue
suggestion that the subject of tariff revision
shall be opened before this law has had u
fair trial. 1t Is quite true that every tariff
schedule is subject to objections. No bill
was ever framed. suppose, that In all OF
Its rates and classiications had the full APP
prevail OF even party caucus. Such legisla-
ton Ia always and necessarily the product
of compromise as to details, and the present
law Is no exception. But In its general
scope and effect I think 1t will justify the
support Of those who believe that American
legislation should conserve and defend
| American trade and the wages OF American
| workmen. The mtsinformation as to the
| terms OF the act which has been so widely
disseminated at home and abroad, will be
corrected by experience, and the evil
| aUgurtes as to Its results COMPOUNDED by the
market reports, the savings banks, inter-
national trade balances, and the general
prosperity of our people. Already we be-
gin to hear from abroad and from our Gus
. tom houses that the prohibitory effect upon
tmportations imputed to the act Is not iusti-
! fed. The imports at the port OF New York
nf nhar
here nearly per cent. greater than for the
| Same period In 1850, and go per cent. greater
| than in the same period OF 1888. And so far
| from being an act to limit exports, I conf
IDENTIFY believe that under 1t we shall secure
larger and more profitable participation
| In foreign trade than we have ever enjoyed,
| and that we shall recover q proportionate
participation In the ocean carrying trade Of
the world. The criticisms of the bill tina { have
| come to us from foreign sources may we'll be
rejected for repugnancy. Ii these critics
still believe that the adoption by MS Of q
free trade policy or of tariff rates having
I reference sofefy REVENUE, wUUtu utHfnfsn
the participation of their own countries In
| the commerce OF the world, their advocacy
and the promotion by speech and other
| forms Of organized efforts OF this movement
among our people In a rare exhibition of
! usefulness In trade, and On the other nand,
| IL they sincerely believe that the adoption
try inures to their profit and our hurt, 1t Is
noticeably strange that they should lead
! the cutlery against the authors
of policy so helpful to their country
| men, and crown with their favor
those who would snatch from them
lands, already inadequate to their neceSsi-
ties There is NO disposition among any OF
our people to promote prohibitory or retail
| iatOry legislation. Our policies are. adopted
not to the hurt Of others. but to secure for
| ourselves these advantages that fairly grew
out of our favored position as q nation.
| Our form of government with its incident OF
universal suffrage makes 1t imperative that
we shall save our working people from the
agitations and distresses which scant work
| and wages that have no margin for comfort
| always beget hut after all this Is
done it will be found that our
markets are open to friendly CONNER
other great powers. From the time OF my
induction into Office, the duty OF using
every power and influence given by law to
the executive department for the develop
ment OF larger markets for our praducts,
especially our farm products, has been kent
constantly In mind, and no effort has been
or will be spared to promote that end. We
are under no disadvantage In any foreign
market except that we pay our workingmen
and wQrkwOmen better wages than
are paid elsewhere, relative to the
cost OF the necessaries Of life.
/ doubt that every largely increased for
eign trade 10 accessible to us without bar
tering for either our home market for such
products OF the farm and shop as our own
people can supply, or the wages OF our
working people. In many of the products
Of wood and iron and In meats and bread
stuffs, we have advantages that only need
better facilities of interest than trausporta-
I f1wn 30 a.
markets. The reciprocity clause OF the
tariff act wisely and effectually opens the
way to secure a large reciprocal trade In
exchange for the free admission to our ports
OF certain products and the right OF inde-
pendent nations to make special reciprocal
trade concessions Is we'll established, and
does not impair either the comfy due to
other powers or what Is known as the STA
vored nation" clause so generally found in
commerci / treaties, and Whist is given to
one for an adequate consideration cannot
! be claimed by another freely. The state
pf the revenues was such that we could
dispose with any import duties upon coffee,
tea, hides, and the lower grades OF sugar
and molasses, and that the large advantage
resulting to the countries producing and
exporting these articles, by placing them ON
the free list, entitled US to expect fair
return In q way OF customs, concessions
upon articles exported by us to them, was
| 81 oDNp4S tuA6 10 nave gfhlu4tous4F huaA~
doned this opportunity to enlarge our trade
would have been, an objectionable error.
There were but two methods of maintain
ing control OF this question, open to con-
gress-to place all OF these articles upon
the dutiable list subject to such treaty
agreements as could be secured, or TO place
them all presently upon the free list but
subject to the reimposition Of specified dp-
ties Of the countries from which we received
them should they refuse to give to Us suita-
BILE reciprocal benefits This latter method,
| / think, possesses great ADVANTAGES. 1t