Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-05-27
Reciprocity and the Farmer.

Ia view Of the great stress laid upon the
reciprocity idea it is in order to enquire
why it should be restricted to Latin Amer
ica and what class of American citizens are
to be the beneficiaries. It will not require
much investigation to disclose the fact that
the interest of the manufacturers and not
of the agriculturists is uppermost in the
minds of the reciprocity advocates. The
British Empire is by long odds the best
customer for our farm products, our cot
ton, wheat, corn, beef and pork. The bal
ance of trade between the United States
and Great Britain is largely in our favor.
The excess of our exports over imports
from Great Britain reaches the enormous
amount of $261, 406,7 ,706 per annum. Oar
imports from England in 1891 we're $780,
4SS, ,956 and our exports $447 ,895, ,662. Oar
total exports for the year vera 1927, $685..
eS4, so that England bought more from US
than all the rest of tho world put together.
What sense or justice is there in discrimi-
nit;ng against orr best customer Will not
England in spirit Of retaliation use every
means to supply her wants from other quar-
! tors, from India, Egypt, Russia, South
America and Australia? Lat it be remem.
bered tbat the bulk Of our exports to Eng
land is made up of agricultural products.
Il is the market which the American farmer
most highly prizes because it is most profit
able to him. How is it with South Amer
lea? The chief exports from this country
| to our Southern neighbors are the products
of factories, shoes, fabrics, machinery and
agricultural implements. From this it will
appear that the eoiprocty racket is work.
| ed for the benefit Of the same favored class
for which the protective tariff was enacted
and as usual with Republican legislation the
farmer is left out in the cold. L is stated
on Republican authority that even now
without reciprocity the American manufac-
turer can undersell his European competi-
tor in the South American States ten or
twenty per cent. If this be true, and we
have no reason to doubt it, whore is the
special need of encouragement for the man
ufscturei? He ought at once to take pos
session of the m arket and drive his Eng
lish, German and French rivals from the
field In this connection another question
comes up. IF the American manufacturer
is SO skilfll, SO expert, SD industrious and
so intelligent that he can produce better
article at lower price than his European
compettor and make good profit while
underselling him in Brazil aud the Argen.
tine Republic, how is it that he cannot hold
his own here at homo against the foreign.
or, without the artificial aid of protective
tariff? The truth is that the tariff enables
the manufacturer to raise the price of his
goods and levy tribute OF his fsllow-citi
zens which he cannot impose on his foreign
customers. We do not object to reoiproc-
ity with South America. Or the contrary
we are delighted with it because it is q
good thing-bsoause 1t will promote a
trade which is mutually beneficial, but we
do say if it is such good thing, let US have
more of 1t, and by all means let Us extend
its bsneGcent operation 20 our best custom.
er. Tit for tat is very good rule, and il
England buys SO largely of oar farm prod
ucts as 10 bring prosperity to American
agriculture why should not the trade with
England be encouraged, Or at least not dis
conrsged by putting up the barrier of the
protective tariff?-Lynchburg Adrance.