The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-06-17
Foreign Trade ana Reciprocity.

Foreign Trade and Reciprocity.
Mr.. FRANKLIN MAcVEAGH, one of the
great merchants Of Chicago and an &C
complished and scholarly gentleman, re-
Gently read a brilliant paper before the
Sunset club of that city entitled Foreign
Trade and Reciprocity" which is pub
lished in the June number of that sterling
periodical, Belford's Magazine. The paper
is brief, but contains a great deal of food
for thought and is especially happy in it's
characterization of the latest attempt Of
of the high takers to mislead the Ameri-
can people. 1t is full of keen thrusts at
the reciprocity humbug and fairly bristles
with clever epigrams. In crisp, pithy
sentences Mr.. MAcVEAGH punctures one
after another of the sophistries by which
the reciprocity nostrum is sought TO be
imposed upon the American people as a
panacea for their economic woes, and his
well-turned and neatly phrased paragraphs
are so many shots fired at the very citadel
of the monopoly fortress with precision
of aim which insures their effectiveness.
Reciprocity" says Mr.. MACVEAGH,
Sounds well, and is proposed with GER
tain theatrical effect; but it is illogical,
not very moral and exceedingly oppressive
in intent; utterly superficial and hopelessly
impossible in plan; and, as an answer to the
Tightening aspirations of this expanding
nation, petty beyond measure" It is
illogical, says Mr.. MACVEAGH, because it
'undermines the very foundations of pro-
lection. 1t undertakes to extend it's area
but in doing so it surrenders all of pro-
tection's intellectual claims. These claims
are that it is possible, profitable and the
only wisdom for our nation to live within
Itself; and that mutual foreign commerce
is contraband in peace and war. When
therefore, we quit our isolation, or admit
the necessity of free trade with other ma
tons, even il they scarcely count, we adj
NIT the impossibility of our system and
give up whatever made it an intellectua
proposition" This, he thinks, might ex-
plain the reluctance of the McKinleyites
to follow Mr.. BLAINE, for reciprocity would
be but the first halting-place, the first
refuge, in the retreat of beaten system"
Mr.. MACVEAGH declares that reciproc-
ity "abandons what is left of the morali-
ties OF protection. Better" he says, "for
protection to go down with the old flag
flying. It must, in any event, soon pass
away. Let us hope for the honor of the
country that it may pass away while there
still Fingers about it some suggestion of
disinterested theory, some of its old pre-
tentions 10 patriotism. It's memory might
then have something o. the happy fortune
OF its medieval prototype. There having
been a subtle something in that age when
tariffs were levied by the barons of the
Rhine, which relieved the barOns' conduct
of the external aspect of robbing, the
ruins of their castles have come down to
US touched by the forgiving lights of ro-
nance"
Reciprocity, Mr.. MAcVEAGH admits,
"cathces the ear. The word has liberal
meaning. But there are two kinds of rec
iprocity-hberal reciprocity, meant TO
help the people, and protection reciproci-
ty, meant to help the protectionists !;
genuine reciprocity, which would make
goods cheaper, and this kind of
reciprocity, which would make
goods dearer. This kind seeks
new markets for our hiVh-priced goods,
and would thus prevent them from be-
| coming cheap in our own country. 1t is
full of tricks, and is simply bride for
| South American nations to lend them
selves to the support of our lettering
system-an attempt TO enlist southern
mercenaries, Latin Hessians, to aid our
inadequate force to keep down the rising
! liberties of this people" The scheme
must fail, Mr.. MACVEAGH says, for two
reasons: because it is an attempt to make
water run up hill, and because it is too
late" He shows how it is an attempt to
make water run up hill
II must be remembered that our farm
products are not IN the question; they
need no reciprocity of course, for they a.
ready minge with all the farm products
| of the world. But our protected manu-
facturers cannot compete; and it is these
high-priced goods that we propose to sub
| stitute for the low-priced goods of Europe,
not by competition, but by hocus- pocus.
| That is our task. Is 1t not 10 make water
run up hin? Is il practicable? Would
| you like to undertake this Job of hocus-
Focusing the South Americans? And can
we also induce these nations for the sake
of this no-advantage, for the sake of the
privation of having only one coat where
they might have two, to voluntarily iso-
late themselves from the trade centers and
the money markets and the civilization of
Europe? This. too, would have to follow,
because no respectable treaty making
| power would consent to make treaty in
ferior to ours. Can we hope to have them
deny themselves England, France, Ger
| many and their mother countries, all
to help us to bolster up our troubled
protection? Strange as it may sound,
| it is literally true that the South
! Americans could have no motive for
all these heavy pccuniary sacrifices and
privations, and for all the dreary isolation
of their lives, except that OF bensvolence
toward our benevolent oligarchy. III there
ever was a time when they might have re-
ceived something back, it is now too late.
For what under the sun have we left to
| offer them in return for all this suffering
and self-denial except the rewards of q
future life? What is there LETT for us TO
reciprocate with? Delightful as it may
be TO separate ourselves still further from
the nations that are most civilized, and
| choose IA our intimates these simpler ma
tions which are nearer TO nature, it is too
late. We have nothing left to reciprocate
Il