Los Angeles herald., 1892-08-29
LETTER BAG.
Racinrnoitx.


EDITORS HERALD: 1t is the fashion OF
the Republican organs in one breath to
laud the Mckinley bill to the skies, and
in the next breath to wisely argue the
benifcent results of reciprocity. Con-
sistency is a Jewel, and how can they
blow both hot and cold? Every body ad-
mits that the congress of 1890 went too
far when they passed the Mckinley bill,
as it was first evolved from the bosom
OF that champion of protection, whose
name it bears. They over-reached them
selves in their attempt to pile protection
upon protection. James q. Blaine, fret
among Republicans, discovered and
published that fact in his famous article
in which he declared that the McKin-
ley bill did not open market for an
other bushel of wheat or corn, or an.
other pound OF pork or beef
He saw that congress- was
determined to pass the Mckinley bill,
and in order to hedge against over pro-
duction and steer clear of impending
disaster, he prepared the old time rem
edy of reciprocity. He had Just con-
cluded the labors OF the Pan American
congress, in which he attempted to pro-
cure favorable trade relations with our
sisters in the southern continent. He
was anxious to have them relieved from
the burden of the Mckinley bill.
What then is reciprocity as it exists
upon the statute books? 1t simply
gives the treaty making power OF the
governments, or the president, the right
to enter into agreement with other ma
tions to admit our products free of duty
or ON more favorable terms than others,
provided we will grant them similar
favors. In other words, you reduce du-
ties on some of our favored products
and we will relieve you of the burden of
the Mckinley bill, which excludes your
goods from our ports. It WAS designed
that reciprocity should only apply to
the South American republics when the
law was passed. In October, 1890, the
Mckinley bill, with the reciprocity
safety valve, became law. No treaties
for reciprocity were concluded with the
South American republics until almost
year hid elapsed, during which peri
cd our foreign commerce languished,
and bankruptcy and ruin were of daily
occurrence in all walks of business life.
Our exports and imports sank to lower
notch than for any year previous to the
passage of the Mckinley bill. France,
Germany, Austria, Denmark and Italy
retaliated, and excluded from their
markets the products OF our farms. So
ruinous was the retaliation of these
nations to us that the president
was forced to instruct our minister to
those countries during the close of 1891
and the early part OF 1892, to arrange
for the admission of American products
on such favorabls terms as were possi-
BILE. Germany, France, Austria, Italy
and Denmark held the key to the situa-
tion, and dictated their own terms. as
the commercial treaties between those
nations and the United States, OF sep
tember and October, 1891, and January,
1892, indicate. That was the first great
commercial battle of the United States
under the banner OF Mckinley and
reciprocity, and Waterloo it became,
in which the stars and stripes were
trailed in the dust. To understand the
tariff laws of this country, we must
read the commercial treaties with other
nations in connection with the McKin-
ley bill, and then the glories OF reci-
procity appear az an additional arga-
ment for reduction of duties, and the
champion of protection no longer ap-
pears as barbarous knight upon gal
liant steed, armed cap a pie, butas an
humble supplicant at the courts OF
Europe, ready to accept such terms as
they might deem fit to impose.
Statistics show that trade was at a
standstill after the passage of the Nc
Kinley bill. and that it has only revived
after the duties on many articles have
been reluctantly reduced by the presl-
dent, which they call reciprocity. In
their effort to defend reciprocity, and to
show an increase in trade, they compare
the duties reduced by their commercial
treaties with the year Immediately fol,
lowing the passage of the Mckinley bill,
and before the adoption of reciprocity.
If the imports and exports, for any
period before the passage of the McKin-
ley bill, are compared with the period
after its. passage. and before the reduc-
ton of the tariff by means OF these COM
mercial treaties, it will show that the
Republican policy of high protection,
which forced other nations to retaliate
on us, was rapidly bringing us to the
verge of ruin. Reciprocity owes kin
ship to tariff reform, and here is her
only virtue, while its evils OF unjust dis
crimination are many.
ROBERT j. ADcooK.