The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1891-09-04
Rec,procitv and Pro,ectIon.

The persons who see, as many profess
to do. an essential and necessary antag.
onism between reciprocity and protect
i've tariff have not given much inteili'
gent thought to either question. In the
case OF each the object is to build up
the industries and trade of the country
and better the condition OF the people.
A protective tariff seeks to do this by
helping such domestic industries as we
have reason to believe would thrive II
they were allowed to get a good start,
and which would eventually grow and
create home competition that would
bring prices down to or below the level
at which they would rest il the for
! eigner were permitted to have all
along an unrestricted control of our
market: Reciprocity aims to purchase
favors for us in foreign markets in re-
turn for privileges offered in Our own
markets to products which, from unfa-
vorableness OF the soil or climate or
lack of raw material cannot be supplied in
this country at all approaching domes-
tic needs. There is no actual hostility,
therefore, between the two schemes. In
reality one is a natural and inevitable
compliment TO the other, and when Gre
ated and developed on rational lines
they together form an ideally wise for
eign trade policy, and bring to the
country applying it the highest pros
perity Of which it is capable.
Evidently there Is a notion abroad
that il protective tariff is good for
anything at all its provisions must bear
against all countries alike. IL break
be permitted to appear anywhere in
the protection line it is received as
evidence BY the enemies of the system
that his friends doubt the wisdom OF
the scheme as a whole and are waver-
ing in their support of it. There are
no reasonable grounds, however, for
such an assumption. A reciprocal
trade arrangement that would be bene-
fetal to us when contracted with Cana
da, Mexico and the South American
countries might be injurious il carried
on with such countries as England, Ger
many and France. where labor Is cheap
er and capital lower than here. In
fact. a tariff Il not a great principle
which must be chung to as cardinal
tenet in religious creed. 1t Is merely q
system OF expedients, the objects of
which is the defense of the interests Of
the country framing IL. Ii is purely
matter Of business, and must be created
with rigid and intelligent regard to
the resources of the country and to the
disposition and aptitudes OF its people.
For this reason neither protection nor
free trade is of universal application,
although the only rational system of
protection is that which, in the words
of Garfield, leads ultimately to free
trade. No rates OF duties can be per-
maneut, for the changes in circum-
stances and conditions that are contiu-
ually under way compel corresponding
alterations in imposts, and sometimes
render important, as is the case now in
the country. the virtual removal OF all
barriers against the importation of GER
tain products of certain countries. And
the sagacious and public-spirited states
man will always endeavor to obtain IA
vors for his own country in the markets
of other nations in exchange for such
privileges as his country bestows on
their products.-Globe-D