The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-06-03
WEDNESDAY. JUNE 8. 1891.
TWELVE PAGES.
ana the Democratic Press.

Our misguided protectionist contem-
porary, the New Albany Ledger, has some
thing to say about the 'threadbare preach
ment Of the free-traders. that reciprocity is
sought by BLAINE with nations the trade
of which will benefit manufacturers
only" and adds:
Why is there such a studied effort to
discountenance reciprocity. Let us see
how il is about this: First and foremost,
we have a surplus of agricultural and
manufactured products. We want
market. Where shall we find it? Ger
tainly it is not to be found In Great
Britain. We sell certain staples there, it
is true, but usually at the price fixed by
the purchaser, without any equivalent.
We can sell Cuba corn, wheat, bacon,
horses, mules and other products and buy
coffee and sugar and other articles that
enter into a real country home. What
can we sell at a profit in Liverpool.
Again: 81
We can, through a we'll established zcal-
verein, control the trade and political
future OF this continent. 1t is our mani
fest destiny. Mr.. BLAINE Is reaching out
in the right direction and should meet
with the encouragement of intelligent
men of all parties.
1t is really amazing, and indeed, some
what discouraging, to find q professed
democratic organ in Indiana thus attempt
ing to bolster up Mr.. BLAINE and his re-
ciprocity humbug. We use the word
"humbug' deliberately, because it is the
only word which will adequately charact-
erie the policy which Mr.. BLAINE has
proclaimed with such a tremendous
flourish of trumpets, and which, it is
hoped by its promoters, may save the re-
publican party from the fate to which its
espousal of McKinleyism had condemned
1t. OF course it will readily be conceded
that any extension of our foreign trade,
however limited, lie desirable. Every bar
rier, however small in itself, to the
free interchange of commodities be-
tween the United States and other
nations is step toward the commercial
emancipation of the republic. But the
pretense that the ills under which the
American people - and especially the
farmers and wage-earners-are suffering
in consequence of a false and vicious
revenue system can be relieved in any ap-
probable degree by the methods proposed
by Mr.. BLAINE, while at the same time
our gates are closed more tightly than
ever against the great commercial nations
of the world, is insulting 10 the popular
intelligence and should receive no sup
port from o democratic paper.
The situation is this: To the south of
Us are thirty-five millions of people, none
= 30 IN, Iakoo II
cation, largely inhabitants of tropical or
eemi-tropical countries, whose wants
are limited and whose purchasing
capacity is comparatively small. The
standard of living in these coun-
tries is very low. Their governments
are unstable, and three or four of the most
important of them have been the scenes
of revolutions since the Pan-American
congress, which adjourned only little
more than a year ago.
Trade in these countries is chemically
In an unsettled condition, and transac-
tons with their people are attended with
extraordinary risks because of the long
credits demanded on purchases, the Pc
culiar tastes and requirements of the peo-
pie, etc, etc. Their chief products are
hides, coffee, wool, sugar and timber.
We import largely of these commodities
Coffee and hides have been on our free
list for many years, and no political
party would dare put a duty upon
them. Their wool we need and must
have, duty or no duty, and it is not
proposed by BLAINE, MCKINLEY, HAIR
RrsoS & Co. to put it on the
free list under any conditions
whatsoever. Sugar above No. 10 Dutch
standard has been untaxed by the Nc
Kinley law. That law authorizes the
president to reimpose the taxes on hides,
sugar, coffee, etc, in order to compel the
South American states to make conces-
eions to US, but this provision is notorious
ly impracticable and patiently unconstitu-
tional, and the statesmen of South Amer
ica know, rs well as we know, that no
president will ever dare to carry it into eff
feet. The people of the United States
would not submit to it for a moment. even
II there were no constitutional objections
10 Il.
The Latin Americans are agricultural
peoples. Their products are those of the
field. the mine, the forest They do not
enter into competition with our manu-
facturers at all. III they did neither Mr..
BLAINE nor any other republican states
men would propose reciprocity
with them. The carrying out Of Mr..
BLAINE's policy may open up. in a
small way, new outlets for American
manufactured goods. 1t may increase our
exports of machinery, of petroleum, OF
various lines of manufactured goods to
some slight extent, but it will open mark
cts for very few bushels of wheat, very
few barrels of -four, very few barrels OF
pork. 1t will not relieve the American
farmers, from any part of the tribute they
are now compelled to pay home manu-
facturers. They must still cell in an open
market and buy in closed market The
prices OF their products will still be regu-
lated by the European demand for their
surplus, and the prices of what they an
their families consume, will still be arti-
ficially enhanced by law. For these rea-
sons and many others, we say that Mr..