Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-01-15
Reciprocity.
what this Principle Of Republican Poll
icy Aims 10 DO, and Has Already
Accomplished.

There was distinguished gathering in
Boston last Friday evening, when some
notable speeches wcrcmadc The occasion
was the annual banquet Of the Boston
Merchants association, go men represent
| ing the leading business interests of New
| England gathering in the great dining
room of the Nendomc. This association
has for several years made it point to
! discuss at these banquets some question
Of great Importance to the commercial in
! terests Of the country, such as the banking
laws, interstate commerce, relations with
Canada and kindred questions This year
"Reciprocity" one Of the corner stones of
/ the Harrison administration, was chosen a,
the central theme, although not all the
speeches were confined to this topic. The
most taking speech of the evening, for in
stance was that Of eX-Postmaster-ienera
James of New York, who devoted his re
marks to an argument and demand for
civil service reform in the post-ottice de-
! parlment He urged the importance of
divorcing politics from the post-otiices of
the country, and in support of his argument
! frequently referred to Benjamin Franklin's
course as eXemplifyng the true spirit OF
civil service reform. Mr. James demanded
| that faithful efficient service should be the
recognized and should be the only requisite
for permanent office. The American pos
| tai service. he said, ought to be the best in
| the world. Postal reform was of vital in
| terest to every business man. send poll
/ ticians to the rear and let the post-otlicc be
run on business principles, was the key
| note of Mr. Iamcs's remarks. That these
! sentiments met with the cordial endorse
ment of the business men present was
/ proved by the frequent applause with which
| the remarks of Mr. James was greeted.
| Mr.. Romero. the Mexican minister to
| this country, who was the next speaker,
! gave an outline OF the commercial and
| other material development which is now
! goinL on in Mexico, and said that, could
! the trade barrier between that country and
! the United States be lessened as much as
possible. "the trade between the two would
surprise the world" W. +. Curtis, the
head of the Bureau of American Republics,
spoke of the great advantages which have
been already derived under the reciprocity
| provisions Of the new tariff law, and the
! Venezuela minister followed urging the
| Importance of close trade relations between
all the countries of the American continent.
On the question OF reciprocity, however,
/ Congressman Burrows of Michigan made
the important speech Of the evening, and
we quote the essential points made by him
as ably illustratm" the thing aimed at by
/ the Republican policy of reciprocity. and as
answering completely the factious criticism
and opposition which the Democrats have
attempted to raise against il:
Mr. Burrows spoke OF the importance
and magnitude of American commerce.
He said that if Americans avail themselves
of the opportunity now afforded. the sta
tistician OF the future will never again re-
cord the humiliating fact that while the
foreign commerce of Mexico. Central and
South America and the West Indies in 1890
/ aggregated i'm value over ~. .2O0. 600, 900,
! only S2S9. S26. .61S OF that commerce was
| with the United States-only II per cent
! of our entire trade-and that the total val
lie of our exports to these countries was
only 800, SSG l03-a trifle over 10 per cent
of our total exports to all cOuntries-whie
| i'm the same year we bought of these coun-
tries SOS, ,940,j75 worth of goods or %
per cent of all our imports from all coun-
tries We bought of these countries 81. 10
worth for every 81 woath they took from
us Reciprocity seeks to cure this inequal-
ity of trade by method which | shall
briefly outline. The tariff act of 1890,
among other things, removed the duty from
sugar, thus giving to the sugar-producing
countries of the world free entrance of this
product into the markets of the United
States, thus remittng to these nations
more than Sj0,0O0,0 600 of annual eXactiOns
The act also continued on the free list tea
coffee and hides. This remission of duty
however, was conditional, and coupled with
the provision that duties may be reGn-
forced on the products of any foreign
country which does does not grant to the
United States trade concessions which are
reciprocally Just, equal and reasonable.
Already reciprocal treaties have been con
summated with five nations and nine colo
nies, while at this hour we are negotiating
agreements of reciprocity with six other
ratiOns.
have heard it urged i'm some quarters
with more vehemence than knowledge that
this doctrine of reciprocity as declared and
applied was an abandonment of the policy
of protection and an acceptance of the
tenets of free trade. Nothing could be
more preposterous. There is not the re-
motest suggestion of free trade in it. 1t is
fair trade, not free trade We admit free
of duty into the American market the
things we do not or cannot produce, like
tea and coffee, or things which, like sugar
cannot be produced in sufficient quantities
to supply the whole market, and in return
therefor secure reciprocal advantages in
the markets of the countries supplying
these articles. Reciprocity strikes down
no American industry, cripples no Ameri-
can enterprise. Reciprocity is not antag
onistic to protection. Protection guard,
the home market; reciprocity reaches out
to the foreign markets. Protection estab
fishes, builds up and maintains American
industries; reciprocity opens a new Outle
for the surplus products of our farms anC
factories. Protection gives employment tC
American labor; reciprocity enlarges tn,
demand for the fruits of that labor, there
by insuring uninterrupted employment
In word protection is defence, reciproci
ty is conquest. There is, therefore, ne
abandonment of the doctrine of protection
but rather an increased demand for III
maintenance Under the policy of protec
tiOn and reciprocity, coupled with that 9th
erpolicy, now happily yinaugurated, of build
ing up our merchant marine and establish
ing swift and certain mail communication
with the South American republics, ther