Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-05-27
A POOR EXCHANGE.
RECIPROCITY ON ONE HAND, RE-
ThLIATiON ON THE OTHER.

n uuhuieu years ago IHOIndS JeIer-
con declared for peace, commerce and
honest friendship with all nations-en-
tangling alliance with none" This has
been ore of the guiding principles of our
solons, and because of it we have had
few serious difficulties with foreign ma
tons. To be sure the protective system.
fastened upon us in 1861, has done much
to destroy our commerce with the rest
of the world But then it treated all
nations alike, and besides it was a policy
which, while it has injured most other
nations slightly, has been veritable
curse on our own people. Hence so long
as we do not complain others surely
should not do so, though they may pity
US for our shortsightedness.
But this new tangled economic doc
trine called reciprocity" which has
been hirched up with protection. ;"
while it may induce few other nations
to lower their duties and untax their
| people, and can do us but little harm by
| taxing four or five articles, makes rad
ical departure from Jefferson's sound
policy, which already threatens to in
volve us N serious commercial Difficult
ties that may later lead to open hostili-
ties. The attempts to coerce foreign ma
tons to change their revenue policy and
the discrimination made against many
| countries have already produced com
plants and threats. The independence
Beige has contained a number of articles
by Senior Tbane, accusing the United
States of unjust designs upon South
America. In one of them he saws:
That the reciprocity treaty with
Brazil was wrested from Senior Fonseca
by Legitimate means; that the United
States openly supported Balmaceda
against the national rising in order to
obtain from Chill a commercial treaty
wholly in favor of the North American
Union; that the Republican party will
renew it with fresh vigor if the Demo-
Gratis do not Gust it from power; that it
will likewise attempt to coerce Argen-
tina unless the latter combines with
Brazil and Chill to resist Yankee en-
croachmen-."
he then appeals to the countries of
western Europe to combine with South
American countries to resist the com
mercial designs of the United States.
This is only one of the many manifesto
tons of spirit of resentfulness that is
growing ou- of this mischief working
policy. One or two of the South Ameri-
can countries that have made treaties of
reciprocity already feel dissatisfied and
threaten to annul them. The blighting
effect upon commerce between the Uni
ted States and Canada, Of the Mckinley
bill, and the unceremonious way in
which we refused to treat with the
Canadian diplomats sent here twice
since the adoption of reciprocity now
seems likely to lead to a tariff war with
Canada. Our trade with this country
exceeds our -rade with all other cor,n-
tries of the western continent. And be-
sides, 1t is the only one of these countries
in which the balance of trade is in our
favor. If our bungling attempt to prop
up the decaying system Of protection
with reciprocity" impairs our COM
merce with Canada it will do more in
jury here than it could possibly do good
elsewhere.
We extract the following from the
New York Times of April IS:
Signs are growing that tariff war
with Canada may not be much longer
delayed. There have been whisperings
of this prospect since the Mckinley bill
shut out this market from Canadian
farmers. The people across the border
long ago learned to make allowances for
campaign needs in this country, and
stood snubbiIg good naturally so long
as it did not affect trade. Now that their
pockets are touched, they feel like hit
ting back. They sold II ,00O,0O0 bushels
of barley here every year until the pres
ent tariff came into force. Now they
sell 100000 bushels In return they
bought our manufactures.
The impression has been fostered by
the high tariff men that Canada would
be the gamer by trade arrangement be-
tween the two countries. Figures show
the contrary. 1t appears, indeed, that
the balance of trade has been very largely
In favor of the United States. ANY re-
tallatory legislation by the Dominion
government would hit American manu-
facturers much more seriously than the
Mckinley bill affects Canadian farmers.
In discussing yesterday the prospect of
such retaliation, gentleman who has
made thorough study of our CONNER
cial relations with Canada, both from
the United States and the Dominion
point of view, said:
''lt can be shown that the clauses of
the Mckinley tariff which affect our
commerce with Canada, and the condi-
tons of the reciprocity measure which
exclude that country from its operations,
are unjustiiable and impolitic and com
pletely subversive of the very objects
which the vaunred joint policy processes
to accomplish.
''f the actual position of this COM
merce warrants and sustains the propo-
sition much mischief may result from