Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-06-03
The Difference Between Free
Trade and Reciprocity.

The Difference Between Free
Trade and Reciprocity.
A great many free-traderS say they do
not see the difference between Reciprocity
ana Free Trade. The difference, how
ever, is so great and 80 obvious that 1T az
pears to us that the person who would in
good faith make any such assertion must
be possessed Of an amount of ignorance
upon this subject which justly entities
him to high place in the ranks of the
free trade party, or he must DO assuming
ignorance for the purpose OF deceivlpg
Others and making them believe that the
Republicans are getting ready to desert
the principle of protection through the
door of reciprocity.
About week ago Lord Salisbury, the
head of the British ministry and the
recognized leader of the Conservative
party. made speech which startled not
only the whole of England. but command
cd great attention all over the civilized
world. The reason of this was that it in
Dictated that the dominant party In Great
Britain have begun to see that the policy
of Free Trade has not brought the pros
perity which its advocates had so conf
IDENTIFY promised.
But at this time it is not our intention
TO sneak of this speech except so far as II
relates to Reciprocity.
We have already told our readers that
the policy of Reciprocity Is as different
from that of Free Trade as day Is from
night. Some baye said that RECIPROCITY
is Projections option upon Free Trade
This. while taking as a catch phrase is as
far from the truth as possible. The Sp"''
long ayo said that Reciprocity is double
protection, or rather protection at oo'u
ends.n Protection keeps foreign countries
from interfering with and breaking down
our home industries. 1t affords employ
ment for our working men and for our
canital and it affords our people-manu-
focturers and farmers-a great home mar
ket. But 1t can 10 nothing towards open
ing foreign markets to our farm products
and to our manufactures.
Free Trade can do no more towards
opening the foreign markets than can
Protection, but Reciprocity accompllshes
this object by providing that ii certain
articles from our country are admitted
into any other country, 'rhich do not conf
pete ritk any produced IN our country Will
he admitted to this country free OF duty
Thus we obtain free entrance to sucn
countries for our products while still pro-
tecting our people against the fee I'M
portation of goods which would Interfere
with our own industries. This is double
protection to our products. 1t protects
them both at home and abroad.
A country which has the free trade
svstem cannot do this. In Lord Sails
bury's speech above alluded to, in speak
ing of Free Trade and Reciprocity and
the position which Great Britain today
occupies, be says: awhile nations are
negotiating to obtain each other favor
none is anxious about the favor OF Grea'
Britain, because Great Britain has strip
ned itself of the armor and weapons will
which the battle is to be fought"
In other words, experience has shown
Great Britain that Free Trade does no
secure the free admission of Der product
into foreign countries. France does NJ
admit them free of duty, nor does Ger
manv. nor Russia, nor Austria. In fact
some of Great Britain's colonies have es
tablished protective tariff against he
goods-notably Canada.
Lord Salisbury evidently turns a. long
ing eve towards Reciprocity as mean
TO revive Great Britain's decreasing trade
but with Free Trade there can be no Reel
procity-there is nothing upon which u
base the agreement. The markets o
Great Britain are already open to tn
world, and they therefore cannot ole
other nations anything in consideration
for opening their markets to the product
of Great Britain. This ought to show
everybody the difference between Free
Trade and Reciprocity.-HGrri8On
| Spirit.