Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1892-06-24
Democratic F~alsshoods About Rec.
procity Explain the Facts.

While the Democratic committee on
foreign affairs of the House reports
favorably a resolution looking to the es-
Enlistment of reciprocity with Mexico,
one of the Latin-American states, thus
asserting to the soundness of the Blaine
Harrison reciprocity doctrine, the 1ndi-
ana Democrats denounce it. They say
in their PLATFORM:
We condemn the so-called reciprocity
policy as Il Transparent attempt to impose
upon the American people the shadow of
commercial freedom for its substance in
order to perpetuate the existing system of
licensed spOliation for the benefit of trusts
and m%onopolies, which are the chief sup
port of the Republican party.
1t is charitable to suppose that these
Democrats have not the least idea what
reciprocity isr-that all they know of it
is that it is something which was defn-
ed by Republican statesmen, and was
put in practice by Republicans, and
that therefore it must be something
which Democrats must oppose. ANY
Republican measure is attacked by most
Democrats simply because it is Repub-
lican.
Yet the men who drafted this resolu-
ton must be sufficiently familiar with
the history of the last year and a quar-
ter to know that the reciprocity policy
which they call the "shadow Of COM
mercial freedom has opened to their
merely the markets OF the southern
continent but those of many of the lead
ing countries of Europe. By means Of
the reciprocity provision President
Harrison and Secretary Blaine have se-
cured the remission of the excessive
duties which lessened the consumption
Of American products in the LATIN
American states. They have also
forced Germany and France to abandon
the policy of prohibiting the importa-
ton Of. American pork or of imposing
etuffs.
These are substantial gains fer Ameri-
can commerce, and they have been Sc
cured without sacrificing q solitary
American interest. Would the Demo-
Gratis have done as much for the coun-
try had they been in possession of the
government? Not if they had been
true to their often avowed policy.
Germany. and France would have
manufactured products into the United
States duty free, and no return would
bave been insisted on in the form of
the removal of a prohibition, or the
lowering of q duty. Commercial free.
DOM with the Democrats means free
dom for the manufacturing nations Of
Europe to ushtheir cheap productsihto
this country, while the former are left
free to adopt what restrictive measures
they please regarding American p7od-
ucts.
That is not the Republican definition
of commercial freedom, and the Demo-
Gratis of Indiana will find it difficult to
convince the wage-workers of that state
that it is to their interest to enter into
direct competition with the cheap labor
of foreign lands. They will prefer the
Republican policy of reciprocity in non
competitive articles to the Democratic
policy of the free admission of compete
ing goods and consequent lowering Of
their wages ortheir loss of employment.
MI. Cleveland's pinguid presence ana.
OleagInous oratOry could not convince
the w~orkingmen of Rhode Island that
his tariff for revenue only" policy was
e.good one for them. They repudiated
him. for they believed his goal was free
trade. Nearly four ye rs ago the Indiana
wofkingmen regulated Cleveland and
his tariff for revenue only" and this
Democratic denunciation Of reciprocity.
the value of which they are seeing more
clearly every day, will not add to their
eagerness to vote for the fat incarnation
OF free tfade.-Chicggo Tribune.