The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-05-08
RECIPROCITY.

The junior Republican organ endeavors
to answer some remarks we recently made
on the subject of reciprocity. Our state
ment was that it is really the American
farmers who furnish South America with
many Of the European manufactures used
there; the balance in our favor of $500, O0O.-
600 worth Of farm products sent to Europe
being largely paid for by South American
tropical products
The junior organ replies that it is the
American merchant, not the European
merchant owing US balance, that pur-
chases the South American goods.
Granted; but the pay sent to South Amer
lea is the debt of the English to us. 1t
consists of SlOO,OOO,OOO in Spanish Ameri-
can bills of exchange which is
part payment for our farm pro.
ducts sent to England. The English
man gets these bills of credit from
the Brazilian merchant in payment for
British manufactures sold in Brazil, and
with them pays his debt to u.s.
The junior organ, after a prodigal show
of learning, says:
IL stands to reason that the proposition that
dependent
any indirect trade is still more ridiculous.
1t seems pity that this youth never
heard of document known as the Stats
tlcaI abstract of the United States. or the
report OF the secretary of the treasury or
other similar works. 1t would have been
better for him had he learned few facts
IRON such sources, instead of burdening
his mind with so much that is untrue. He
would find, for example, that we sent to
EUROPE last year goods to the value of
S6S3, 736, S97. mostly farm products, and
received from Europe goods to the value of
only S449, 1851, 266. He would find that we
sent to Europe gold and silver to the value
OF S3O,225,6Sl and received from Europe
gold and silver to the value of only So
735, 722.
The youth might think that we make q
clear present of over $500. ZOO, 900 worth of
farm products and S24, 600, 900 worth of gold
and silver to European merchants. And if
his proposition is true, that 1.-THE farmers
European market is not dependent on any
indirect trade'', and that the farmers are
not paid in the goods of other countries
(South America among them for this
$500 100000 that Europe does not paw
directly for, then the farmers are not paid
at all for this surplus. Men of broader ex-
perience than our youthful friend, how
ever, can tell him that the farmers or their
agents, the merchants, are paid for this
surplus, and paid by means of bills On
South American countries, with which they
buy coffee, rubber, tapioca and quinine.
The youth is also mistaken in surprising
that South America is a good market for our
agricultural products. There are 80, OOO. 600
shepherds and faamers there. They have
agricultural products for sale, including wool
beef, hides, cotton and wheat. 1t is greatly
to be regretted that our youthful friend
has not studied geography. What they
buy is manufactures. We send them goods
to the value of only 1882, $500 yearly, but
receive from them goods to the value of
S23S, 314, $50. We send them gold and silver
to the value of IS, 155, SO, and receive from
them gold and silver to the value of S33.-
1885. Our juvenile contemporary assures
US that indirect trade cuts no figure in
these transactions, in other words, that
South America makes US a present of $780,
100000 in goods and $1,000, 600 in gold and
silver yearly.
Statistics show that it is the surplus we
sell IN Europe that pays for the surplus we
buy IN south America. If not, we make
Europe present of our excess of exports
to that continent, and South America
kindly compensates US for this loss by a
similar gift to US. This is the meaning of
the junior organs argument.