The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1891-07-31
Democratic Duplicity.

and confuse the voters of the coun-
try by insisting upon the absurd as.
sertion that reciprocity is essen
TALLY free trade under new name.
1t cannot be claimed that these
statements are born of ignorance,
and that they are therefore, made
in a spirit of sincerity.
AN vOyvcL bnssAx ,-.szss
ordinarily we'll informed Democrat
that reciprocity and free trade are
diametrically opposed to each other
in both principle and manifestation.
So far from reciprocity having
anything in common with free trade
is perfect palpable fact that sys-
tenn of reciprocity could only have o
practical operation upon the basis of
protection,
Reciprocity is defined by the high
est accepted authorities as ''recipro-
cal advantages, obligations or
rights" and, therefore, applies in
matters Of trade such commercial
exchanges as are based upon clearly
and carefully stipulated conditions
and mutually recognized obliga-
tions.
That eminent statesman, Secre-
tary Blaine, who has been the chief
exponent and promoter of the recip-
rocity regime, has explicitly defined
the scheme as comprehending the
development of the resources of the
naticn by building up our home
markets through protection and by
promoting international trade
through reciprocal relations, advant-
ages and obligations.
Now, as opposed to this system,
the Democrats advocate the theory
of free trade, which literally signi-
fies "trade of commercial inter-
course free from all artificial inter
ference or restriction.
While, therefore, reciprocity prac-
tically means a treaty between two
countries comforting equal and spec
ial privileges as regards customs or
charges on imports, and in other re-
spects, free trade, in striking con-
trast, consists in "the enactment by
a State or nation of law through
the operation of which the State or
nation enacting the same agrees to
receive the commodities of other ma
tions or countries without restric-
tions or the imposition of any i'm
port duty or charge, and also with
out restrictions of the imposition of
any import duty or charge, and also
without any agreement on the part
of other countries to receive in like
manner the commodities of the ma
ton or country adopting the policy
of free trade.
This, we believe, is clear and cor
rect exposition of the essential ma,
ture and significance of the two op'
posing systems.
The Democrats have given us a
sample of their tariff legislation in
the Walker tariff of 1916 and the
Cobb tariff of 1857. Both of these
measures reduced the schedule OF
duties and made the lowest tariff
ever adopted by Congress since the
establishment of the government.
They were directly antagonistic to
the principle of protection to Amer
lean industries, and were drafted to
meet the demands and conditions OF
the Southern cotton and sugar pro-
ducing States, and to combat the
great manufacturing interests of the
Northern States, and greatly to the
satisfaction and enrichment of Brit
ish manufacturers and importers.
A return to similar tariff at this
period of the great advancement o1
the entire republic, with the mar
vels and variety and abundance o1
the productions of California and
the Pacific States, with the enor
nous development of the minera
wealth of the new States, with thC
increasing Importance of the iror
manufacture in some of the South
ern States, and in view of the i'm
petus to American shipbuilding ant
commerce, which will restore an(
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