St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-12
Breckenridge, Of Kentucky, Is
First to AsSail the Reel
procity Provision.
Considers HarrisOn's Powers
Unconstitutional, Onep-
Gus and Unjust.
Reciprocal Open Ports Pro-
posed in Lieu of the Ppes-
ent Mode.
Jerry Simpson Has a Desire
to Investigate the Bureau
Of Jerry Rusk.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-THE Republi-
| can principle of reciprocity as en-
bodied in the Mckinley act and prac-
ticed by the present administration is
| aSSailed the first time by the Democrats
| this session in a resolution which Rep
resentative Breckenridge, of Kentucky,
asked unanimous consent to offer in
the house today.
This resolution, which is the subject
| of general discussion 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 direction of the
| president, to the diplomatic representa-
tives of VeneZula, Nicaragua, Colombia,
Honduras and other nations, calling at
tentIon to the reciprocity section of
the Mckinley act, and stating that the
| president deems the duties imposed by
| these countries to be reciprocally I'M
equal and unreasonable, and that unless
| on or before March Is next some salts
factory commercial arrangement is en-
tered into, the president will issue a
proclamation suspending the provision
of this section; and further recites that
| such action by the president would be
unconstitutional, Onerous and unjust;
| and lnstructs the committee on ways
! and means to report before Feb. 25 q
| bill repeating the second section of the
| Mckinley act.
Reciprocal Open Ports.
The presidents also authorized, with
! out further legislation, to declare the
| ports of the United States are open to
the products of any nation of the Amer
lean hemisphere upon which no export
| duties are imposed so long as such na-
ton shall admit to its ports free of all
national, municipal and other taxes
flour. cornmeal and other breadstutfs,
preserved meats, fish. vegetables and
| fruits. cOttOnSeed Oil. rice, lumber,
agricultural implements, ETC., or such
| other products as may be agreed upon.
Il believe" said Mr.. Breckenridge,
''that the third section of the Mckinley
| act is unconstitutional in comforting
upon the president the power to impose
taxes without congressional action. |
also believe that the retaliation allowed
in that act Is not only unwise as re-
CARDS our relations, but is really bur-
| denSome to our citizens, for 1t imposes
duties which they have to pay. And
where this retalliatory measure is
adopted only as to certain nations it
makes an unjust discrimination which
may also not only be arbitrary, but may
be not free from corruption.
Therefore | am anxious 70 have that
| clause of the Mckinley act repealed;
| and, while it may not be possible to do
it, desired to call the attention of the
country to this measure, and thought it
might be done by connecting this move
ment i'll the house with the letter which
! Mir. Blaine had written, and which had
| been published all over the country.
Being in favor of the
Freest Pc ssibIe Trade
| consistent with the raising of the needed
! revenues of the government, appended
| to the resolution inStructing the COM
| mittee on ways and means to report a
| bill repeating the third section Of the
| Mckinley act, an instruction to report
in lieu of it true reciprocity provision
| by which the president is given the
| power. which Individually is constitu-
tional, 10 open the ports of America to
the products of sucll countries as do
the United States.
Il do not entirely agree with some of
the leading Democratic statesmen as TO
| reciprocity treaties and arrangements.
There are grave objections to them, but
l think them better than prohbitory
tariffs. And if we cannot enact such
revenue laws as desire. prefer to see
| reciprocal arrangements made as far as
they can be with any or all nations, be-
lieying that every movement in favor of
freer trade will serve as an educational
process, accustoming the country to
better views and practices in our COM
mercial relations.
II was further led to offer this resolu-
ton just at this particular moment be-
cause the committee on ways and means
has not had time to become entirely Or
| ganized and get to work on the various
propositions which have been submitted
| to it.
Wants to Fix Attentions
s'By selecting at this particular juno
ture this particular provision of the
Mckinley act. [ might concentrate the
attention of the country upon it. Sepa-
rated from the other provisions of that
act | selected as the reciprocity pro-
vision to be reported by the ways and
| means committee one that received the
sanction of large number, if not indeed
| all, the Democratic senators in the Fifty
first congress. And while there may
be differences of opinion in our party
as to the extent to which it is wise to
| go, there is no difference among us that
| the provisions adopted in the Mckinley
| bill ought to be repealed, and that some
| liberal measure could be we'll enacted
| in lieu of it,
The resolution appears to be well re-
ceived by the majority of the ways and
means committee. Il think very favor
ably of the proposition of Mr. Brecken-
ridge" said Chairman Springer. "Of
course | cannot say what the committee
may decide to do ill the matter. am
in favor Of reciprocity, but whether [
would be willing to go to the extent
provided in the articles mentioned in
the resolution, cannot say. That cues
ton, however. is mere matter of de-
| tail, aud does not affect the principle
| embodied in Mr.. Breckenridge's resolu-
| tion.'