Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-02-11
Mr.. Hale on Reciprocity.
The Maine senator speaks on His ResOlu
tion Of Inquiry.

The Maine senator speaks on His Resolu.
tion Of Inquiry.
The practical working of the reciprocity
| legislation of the last Congress was made
he subject of an interesting debate in the
Senate Thursday, Mr. Hale starting the
! discussion with striking speech on the
results obtained so far by the State De-
psrtment under the terms of the reciproci-
~ clause of the Mckinley law. MIR. Hale
introduced recently "a resolution requesting
the President to send to the Senate copies
of all the agreements made with other
countries for reciprocal trade advantages
and asking also for any statistics which
might be available, showing the effect Of
these arrangements on the trade and com
merCc of the United States. This resolu-
ticn was called up to day, and the senior
Maine Senator took advantage of the op-
portunity to review conci.ely aud pontedly
the history Of the reciprocity project and
10 call attention to the great commercial
and political advantages which have al
resdy been secured 10 this country through h
the sagscous and practical provisions Of
the Aldrich amendment.
Reciprocal Trade Agreements
The answer TO the resolution offered hy
me in the Senate a few days since, and
which has just been read, will furnish the
information called for more :H detail than
can be known al present; but | have al
ready possessed myself Of information and
facts sufficient. believe. to Justify me iu
setting forth something of the history Of
the reciprocity movement, the helping hand
IL has received, and the delays and hind
raucr> which have been put in its pathway
/ iu certain quarters and the tangible results
up 10 the present time.
Touching th. last, IL must be borne in
mind that the oldest treaty or agreement
/ for reciprocity, under 5, ,ction of the Me
/ kinley act, has been in force hut nine
months, and that the treaties or agreements
following have some of them but just
/ passed into actual operation.
The desire for extended trade. through
I the agency of reciprocity treaties, between
/ the United States and her sister nations
and dependencies of the American hemi-
( sphere, has moved in the minds of prac-
teal statesmen in the United States for
many years. Different administrations
/ had made ESSAYS in this direction. Gener
al Garfield. President Arthur and others
had looked with impotence upon the spec
tacle of a rapidly increasing trade and
commerce among the nations of Central
aud South America, in which we had little
part; bnt no way had been devised through
which our trade with these peoples cou'd d
be augmented til near the closing day.
of the List Congress.
On the I'd of September. 1890. called
up the original reciprocity amendment to
the Tariff hill, which was then under dis
cussion. which | had introduced on the
18th of June previous, and which had been
referred 10. the GomEiitee. .9n. El9angGift Vie
State Department. and reads as follows:
And the President of the United States
! is hereby authorized, without further leg
sation, 10 declare the ports OF the Unit.
ed States free and open to all products OF
any nation OF the American henlls sphere
upon which no export duties are imposed
whenever and so long as such nation shall
admit TO its ports, free of all national
provincial (state. municipal, and other
taxes, Hour, corn meal, and other bread
stun, preserved meats. fish. vegetables and
| fruits. cottonseed oil, rice. and other pro
visions, including all articles of lumber
furniture, and all other articles Of wood
agricultural implements and machinery
mining aud mechanical machinery, struct
ural steel and iron, steel rails, locomotives
railway ears and supplies, street cars. re
fined petroleum, or such other products OF
1t undoubtedly covered the plan which
the State Department and the administra.
tion had IN view to attain practical reci
procty.
! The amendment gave rise to extended
discussion, was carefully considered in the
Committee on Finance, which later in the
session reported the reciprocity feature in
what is known as the Aldrich amendment
which, on the 9th day of September, was
adopted by the Senate and made part OF
the Tariff act, being the third section OF
| that act.
Attitude of the two Political Parties.
| The vote Of the Senate showed that al.
ready one of the great National parties
was found in substantial unanimity in fav-
or Of the scheme, while the other was ar
rayed in solid phalanx against it. That ii
! may he seen how marked this line Of diff
| ference was drawn, | give the list Of yeas
and nays in the Senate upon the adoption
| of the amendment: