The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-01-13


! WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-THE republican
1 principle of reciprocity as embraced in the
Mckinley act and practiced by the pres
! ent administration was assailed for the
| first time by the democrats this session in
aresoution which Representative Breckin-
ridge (Ky.) asked unanimous consent
! to offer in the house TODAY. This resolu.
tion, which is the subject OF great discus.
sion tonight, and the introduction OF
| which was objected to by Mr.. Burrows Of
the republican side, recites the letters
written by the secretary of state, by
! the direction of the president TO the
! diplomatic representatives, of Venezuela,
! Nicaragua, Columbia, Honduras and other
nations, calling attention to the recipro-
city section of the Mckinley act and
stating that the president deems the
duties imposed bv these countries
! to be reciprocally unequal and unreason-
able, and that unless on or before March
10 next some satisfactory commercial az
rangement is entered into, the president
will issue proclamation suspending the
! provisions of the section, and further re-
cites tnat such action by the president
would be Unconstitutional, onerous
and unjust, and instructs the
committee on WAYS and means to
report before Feb. % bill repeating the
third section of the Mckinley act. The
president is also authorized, without fur
ther legislation, to declare the ports Of the
United States free and open TO all
the products OF any nation of
the American hemisphere upon which
no export duties are imposed, so long as
such nation shall admit 10 its ports free
, OF all national. municipal or other taxes,
flour. cornmeal and other bresdstufs,
| preserved meats, fish, vegetables and
fruits, cottonseed oil, rice. lumber, agricul-
tural implements, etc, or sucn other
! products as may be agreed upon.
81 believe" said Mr.. Breckenridge to
an Associated Press reporter, that the
third section of the Mckinley act is un-
constitutional in comforting upon the
president the power to i'm
pose taxes without congressional
action. also believe that the
retaliation allowed in that act is not only
unwise as regards our relations, but is
really burdensome TO our citizens, for it
imposes duties (which they have
taliatory measure is adopted onlv
as 10 certain nations it makes an unjust
discrimination which may also not
only be arbitrary but may not be free
| from corruption / therefore am anxious
TO have that clause of the Mckinley act
repealed, and while it may not be posi-
| BILE to do it, | desire TO call the attention
of the country TO this measure and
thought it might be done by connecting
this movement in the house with the let
ter which Mr.. Blaine had written and
which had been published all over the
country.
"And vet" continued Mr.. Breckin-
/ ridge, being in favor of the freest posi- Die
| trade consistent with the raising of
the needed revenues of the govern.
ment, 1 appended TO the resolutions
! instructing the committee on ways and
means TO report bill repeating the third
section of the Mckinley act, an instruc-
! tion to report in lieu OF it true reci-
procity provision by which the president
is given the power, which un-
| doubtedly is constitutional, to open
the ports of America to the products
of such countries as do make true reci-
procal arrangements with us. 1 do not en-
tirely agree with some of the leading dem
ocratic statesmen as to reciprocity treaties
andlarrangements. There are great objec-
tions TO them but think them better than
prohibltery tariffs. And il we can not
enact such revenue laws as l desire, / de-
sire that reciprocal arrangements be made.
as far as they can be, with any or all
nations, believing that every movement
in favor of freer trade will serye as an edu-
cational process, accustoming the country
to better views and practices in our COM
mercial relations.
81 was further led to offer this resolu-
ton Just at this particular moment be-
cause the committee on ways and means
has not vet had time to become entirely
organized and get to work on the various
propositions which have been sub
mitted to it, and by selecting
at this particular juncture this particular
provision of the Mckinley act,
1 might concentrate the attention OF the
country upon 1t separated from the other
provisions of that act ] selected as the
reciprocity provision to be reported by
the WAYS and means commit
tee one that had received the sanction
of large number if not. indeed, of all the
democratic senators in the Fifty-first con-
gress. And while there may be differ
ence of opinion in our party as TO the ex-
tent TO which it is wise to 90, there is no
difference among us that the provision
adopted in the Mckinley bill ought to be
repealed. and that some liberal measure
could well be enacted in lieu of II"
Mr.. Breckinridge's resolution appears
to be well received by the majority of the
ways and means committee.
81 think very favorably Of the PROPOSE
ton of Mr.. Breckenridge" said Chair
man Springer. "Of course ! cannot say
what the committee may decide to do in
the matter. am in favor OF reciprocity
but whether l would be willing TO 60 to
the extent provided in the article men,
toned in the resolution 1 cannot say.
That question, however, is a mere matter
of detail, and does not affect the vital
principle embodied in Mr.. Breckinridgs's
resolutions"