The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-06
EIGHT-PAGE EDITION

great ships now on the designers tables sre to
go To foreign shirysrds for construction and tha
United states lose the now Frightening opuor
tunity of recovering place commeusursto vit,,
Its wealth. the skill of its constructor and tbe
courage OF its sailors in the Carrying trade a
the world.
THE BENEFITS OF RECIPROCITY.
Another related measure, a. furnishing
increased ocean traffic for our shirs
ana OF great permanent benefit To
farmers and manufacturers as well, n tho
reciprocity policy declared by section 8 of
the tariff act OF 1880 and now in practical opera-
ton with five nations of Central and South
America, San Domingo, the Spanish and British
West India islands, and with Germany, under
special trade arrangements with each. The re.
moval OF the duty on sugar and the continuance
OF coffee and tea upon the free list, while Civ
ing great relief to our own people by cheapen-
Ing articles used increasingly In every house.
hold, was also OF such enormous advantage 10
the countries exporting these articles as to
suggest that in consideration thereof
reciprocal favors should be shown In their
tariffs to articles exported by us
to their marketa Great credit is due Mr. Blaine
for the vigor with which he pressed this view
upon the country. We have only begun to
realize the benefit OF these trade arrangements,
the work OF creating new agencies and of adapt
ing our goods to new: ::markets.having necessarily
taken time, but the results already attained arc
such. / am sure, as to establish In popular favor
the policy OF reciprocal trade and the free i'm
portation OF such articles that do not injur-
iously compete with the products OF our owB
farms, mines or factories in exchange for the
free or favored introduction of our products
iuto other countries. The obvious efficiency of
this policy OF increasing the foreign trade OF tho
United States at once attracted the alarmed at
tention OF European trade journals aud boards
~ trn.tA nrtNs s.y.A
to that government a memorial asking for the
appointment OF commission TO consider tho
best means OF counteracting what is called the
commercial crusade of the United States" At
a meeting in March last of the associated cham
bers of commerce of Great Britain the presi-
dent reported that the exports from Great Brit
ain TO the Latin-A American countries during the
last year had decreased $1,000, and that this
was not due to temporary causes, but directly to
the reciprocity policy Of the United States.
Germany and France have also shown q startled
appreciation of tho fact that new and vigorous
contestant had appeared i'll the battle of mar
keis, and had already secured important advan-
tages The most convincing evidence of tho
tremendous commercial strength of our position
10 found in the fact that Great Britain
aud Spain found it necessary to make reciprocal
trade agreements with us for their West India
colonies, and that Germany and Austria have
given us important concessions in exchange for
the continued free importation of their sugar
product. A few details only as TO the increase
in our trade can be given here. Taking all the
countries with which reciprocity arrangements
have been made, our trade TO June 80, 1892, has
increased 1873 per cent; with Brazil the in
crease was nearly III per cent; with Cuba dur
ing the first ten months our expectations were
$500, l02, or SIS per cent greater. The liberal
participation of our farmers in tho benefits of
this policy Is shown by the following report
fervx otxl s.vsAA dAta
OF June 20:
During the first half of the year 1891 Havana
received 14o,056 bags of flour from spain.
and the other ports OF the island about an
equal amount, or approximately $50, III bags,
During the same period Havana received l., $40
bags of American flour and the other ports ap-
proximateiy an equal amount, making about
2S0oc bags. But for the first half of this year
Spain has sent less than ] 900 bags to the whole
island. and the United states has sent to Ha-
vana alone 16s,iS7 bags and about an equal
amount TO other ports OF the island, making
isse ssei0himA'sS '''O' OAs' '0i 'n' n''' n''' Oh
Partly by reason OF the reciprocal trade agree
ment, but more largely by reason o: the re-
moval OF the sanitary restrictions on American
pork, our export Of pork products to Germany
increased during the ten months ending June
80 last s2.025.074. or about % per cent. The
sue, speaking of the increase OF American coal
exports and OF the falling on Of the English
coal export to Cuba, says:
1t is another case OF American competition.
The United States now supplies Cuba with
about $4,000 tons OF coal annually, and there ID
every prospect OF this trade increasing a. the
forest Of the island become exhsusted and tho
Use of steam machinery on the estates IL devel-
oped. Alabama coal especially - securing
reputation in the Spanish West Indies, and the
river and rail improvements Of the southern
states will undoubtedly create an important
gulf trade. The new reciprocity treaty by
As>fH HA,n I'd a.. ttAAS a. fvxap
Cuban sugar will, OF course. assist tho Amsri-
can coal exporters even more effectively than
the new lines OF railway.
THE DKMocRArIC ATTACK ON RECIPROCITY.
The Democratic platform promises repeal Of
the tariff law containing this provision. and
especially denouuces as shame the reciprocity
section of the law. under which these trade ar
rangements have been made. IL no other issue
were involved in the campaign. this alone
would give 1t momentous Importance. Arc the
farmers OF the great grsin-growing states will
ing TO surrender this new. large and increasing
market for their surplus? Are we to have
nothing In exchange for the FREQ
importation OF sugar and coffee and
at tho same time to destroy tho
sugar planters of the South aud the beet
sugar industry Of tho Northwest and Of the
Pacific coast, or are we to have taxed sugar and
coffee, which tariff for revenue only necessarily
involves, with the added loss of the new mar
kets which have been orenedf As l have
shown, our commercial rivals in Europe do not
regard this reciprocity policy as a 'sham," but
as a serious threat to trade supremacy they
have long enjoyed. They would rejoice. and If
prudence did not restrain, would illuminate
their depressed manufacturing cities over tho
news that the United states had abandoned ats
policy of protection and reciprocity. They see
very clearly that tho restriction OF American
products and trade and q corresponding In
crease of European production and trade would
follow and I will not believe that what IL so
plain to them can be hidden from our own
people.
THE PROTECTIVE TARIFF.
The declaration OF the platform in favor Of the
"Amsrican doctrine OF protection" meets my
most hearty approval Tho convention did not
adopt schedule, but a principle that IL TO con-
troll all the tariff schedules There may b q
difference of opinion among protectionists ~ 10
the rate uron particular articles necessary 10
effect an equalization between wages abroad
and at home. In some not remote national
campaigns the issue has been, or more correctly.
has been made to appear TO be, between high
and low protective tariff, both parties express
Ing some kolicitous regard for the wages OF our
working people and ter tho prosperity OF our
domestic Industries, but under q more courage.
ous leadership the Democratic party has now
practically declared that II given power IL VIII
enact a tari law without any regard TO ifs
effect upon wages or upon tho capital invested
in our great Industries. The majority report OF
the committee on platform to the Democratic
national convention at Chicago contained this
clause.
That when custom house taxation ia levied
upJu articles OF any kind produced in this coun-
try the difference between tina cost OF LABOR nefO
and aoroai. when such difference exists, iuily
measures any possible benefits TO labor. and the
enormous additional tions OF the existfug