Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-26
amendment limiting Mr.. Claggett's time for

amendment limiting Mr.. Claggett's time for
| speaking to two hours.
J Mr. Hale's resolution of January l9, calling
on the Secretary of the Treasury for copies
OF reciprocity agreements under the last
tariff act, was then taken up, and Mr.. Vest
moved the following amendments: "And
that the Secretary OF State also inform the
senate whether any steps have been taken
by our authorities to negotiate reciprocal
commercial treaty with Mexico; and If so,
what has been done, and with what results;
also, that the Secretary inform the Senate If
nesotiations have been inaugurated for the
iul, what has been the cause of failure"
Reciprocity to BE q Leading Issue.
Mr.. Vest addressed the Senate in reply to
MIR. Hale's speech on the resolution. He
agreed with Mr.. Hale that the discussion of
the question would become the leading issue
In the approaching National canvass Quot
Ing from Mr.. Hale's speech the statement
that it was only the reciprocity feature OF
the tariff bill that had saved the Republican
party from being totally swamped in the
last election, Mr.. Vest said that ft seemed to
his benighted mind that the results OF these
elections, in the Senate and House of Repre-
sentatives, constituted q swamping process
even on the coast OF Maine.
lie referred to the famous incident in the
Senate Finance Committee in which Mr..
Blaine was represented as having smashed
his silk hat in baffied rage as he denounced
the removal of sugar duties and said that a
full report of that occurrence had been pub
1shed in an interview prepared by William
e. Curtis, Chief of the Bureau of American
Republics and Adjutant General Of the
reciprocity arrangements. Much OF Mr..
Vests speech consisted OF quotations
from the sneeches OF Republican Senators
In the tariff debate and of trade statistics.
The Democratic party has been repre-
sented by Mr.. Hale as being opposed to a
policy OF reciprocity. Mr.. Vest denied that
Il = ~,
party was only opposed to sham reci-
procity.
advocating the Free Trade Policy.
The reciprocity arrangement with Brazil
did not benefit the American farmer. No
act of Congress could change the inexorable
la of supply and demand, which prevented
an agricultural people from purchasing
agricultural produces. South America fur
nished no market for the agricultural pro-
ducts OF the United States. Every man
qualified to vote knew that the market for
American agricultural products was in
Great Britain, not in South America.
Why stop with South America and sugar. |
Why exclude shoddy and clothing? Cen |
ue reciprocity was free trade. Mr. Hale
said he did not propose to be drawn now into |
a general discussion on the merit or weak |
ness OF the Mckinley tariff bill He sup
posed from the indications at the other end |
OF the Capitol that ample opportunity would |
be given before the session closed to discuss |
the Mckinley bill, its operations on the |
and whether or not, on the whole, |
it had been beneficial .4 |
The Senator from Missouri and himself |
did not agree on that the Senator believing |
that the tariff bill was the sum of all finan- |
cial iniquities and believing that it was |
sound, strong good measure that the sense |
OF its merits would increase with the Ameri-
can people, the longer it was beheld and ex-
amined by them. What the Democratic |
party wanted and believed in was Simon
pure" tree trade.
Mr.. Hale read a newspaper paragraph /
the increased imports in to Cuba of |
American flour since the reciprocity ar
went into effect and said that the
-four OF Old Spain had been driven out of the
market.
Time Will Tell Which View Is Right.
In testing the subject he could only say
that time would tell more fully as to
whether the Senator from Missouri or he
we're right as to the beneficent effects of
reciprocity. The Senator was in dilem-
ma. Reciprocity has been made the Repub-
lean policy. 1t was one of its cornerstones.
Senator's had not heard the last of it. 1t
would be before the American people in the
lext campaign. There was not q miner or
aborer or farmer or shipper who was not
in reciprocity and in its suc-
ess, and who was not hoping and praying
or its success. That was the attitude of the
party.
Mr.. Vest said that the very fundamental
doctrine of the Democratic party was free
rade and larger intercourse with the whole
World. And the increase which Mr. Hale |
lad mentioned OF the import of American
iour int o Cuba proved that the Democratic |
,arty was right, and that when the duties |
rere put down, exports were increased.
The fundamental doctrine on which the |
party stood to-day was: Larger |
rade and greater markets for American |
arm products. And the Republican party,
n inserting the reciprocity section in the
IcKinlcy bill, had attempted to get out of |
is difficulty by stealing a portion of the doc
rine of the Democrats. 1t never would
ave taken reciprocity with any country
nder heaven if1t had not been for the in !
i-na tion of the people of the United States |
gainst the Mckinley bill.
The tariff discussion closed with no action |
n Mr.. Hales resolution or Mr. Vests
mendment. but with the intimation that |
everal other Senators wished to take part |
4 the discussion. notably MIR. Allison and |
lr. Voorhees,. The Idaho election case
as then taken up, and Mr.. Vance argued J
n support of the views of the minority to |
Omit Mr.. Claggett. Without action on the
axe the Senate adjourned.