Wisconsin Afro-American., 1892-11-05

Struction in American yards Of four new
passenger steamships of 10000 tons each
costing about SS.000 0000, and will add to
our naval reserve SIX steamships the fast
est upon the sea. A special interest has
been taken by me in the establishment of
ports and, though my expectations have
not yet been realized, attention has been
calico TO the advantages possessed by these
ports, and when their people are more fully
alive to their interests | do not doubt that
they will be able to secure the capital
needed TO enable them to profit by their
great natural advantages. The Demo-
cratic party has found no place in its plat
form for any reference to this subject and
has shown its hostility to the general
policy by refusing to expend an appropria-
tI0n made during the last administration
for ocean mail contracts with American
lines The patriotic people, the workmen
In our shops, the capital seeking new en-
terprises, must decide whether the great
ships owned by Americans which have
sought American registry shall again hum
bly, ask place In the English naval re-
serve: the great ships now on the design
erS' tables go to foreign shipyards for con-
struction and the United states lose the
now Frightening opportunity of recovering
place commensurate with its wealth. the
skill of its constructors and the courage of
It's SdllULS III LLc CdIIy ylUS lIdut VI llC SCdS'
RECIPROCITY TREATIES.
Another related measure, as furnishing
an increased ocean traffic for our ships.
and of great and permanent benefit to the
farmers and manufacturers as well, is the
reciprocity policy declared by section OF
the tariff act of 1890 and now IN pTaC-
| tlcal operation with five OF the nations
of Central and South America, with San
Domingo, the Spanish and British West
| India Islands, and with Germany and Aus
tria, under special trade arrangements
with each. The removal OF the duty on
sugar and the continuance of coffee and
| tea upon the free list, while giving great
relief to our own people by cheapening
articles used increasingly in every house
| hold. was also of such enormous advantage
to the countries exporting these articles as
| 10 suggest that in consideration thereof re-
cIprOcal favOrS should be shown in their tar
ifs to articles exported by us to their mar
ketS. Great credit is due to Mr. Blaine Tor
the yigor with which he pressed this view
upon the country. We have only begun to
realize the benefit of those trade arrange
mentS. The work of c'eating new agen-
cieS and of adapting our goods to new mar
kets has necessarily taken time, but the
results already attained are such, L am
sure. as to establish in popular favor the
policy of reciprocal trade, based upon the
tree Importation of such articles as do not
injuriOusly compete with the products of
our own farms, mines or factories, in eX-
change for the free or favored introduction
OF our produce IN other countries.
EUROPE FEARS OUR RECIPROCITY.
The obvious efficacy of this policy in in
creaSing the foreign trade of the United
States at once attracted the alarmed at
tention of European trade journals and
boards of trade. The British board of
trn IN hoG tnA To fEnf r.,S,f
memorial asking for the appointment OF a
com mission TO consider the best means of
counteracting what is called 'rhe CONNER
cIal crusade of the United States" AT a
meeting held i'll March last of the ASSo-
ciated Chambers of Commerce of Great
Britain, the president reported that the
exports from Great Britain to the Latin
American countries during the last year
had decreased $23. 100000, and that this
was not due to temporary causes but di
rectly to the reciprocity policy of the
United States. Germany and France have
also shown their startled appreciation of
the fact that new and vigorous contestant
has appeared in the BATTLE for the markets
and has already secured important advan-
tageS. The most convincing evidence of
the tremendous commercial strength Qfan
y5s atIon IS round III lie fact that Great
Britain and Spain have found it necessary
% make reciprOcal trade agreements with
Is tor their West India colonies and that |
Iermany and Austria have given us i'm
1Ortant concessions in exchange eor the !
,Ontined free importation OF their beet
sugar. |
a few details only as to the increase of !
)ur trade can be given here. Taxing all
he countries with which arrangements |
lave been made. our trade to June 80, 1892,
lad increased 23.7S per cent. With Brazil |
he increase was nearly III per cent; with |
Cuba, during the first ten months, our eX-
ports increased So, 7O2 1913 or 54.S6 per cent,
and with Porto Rico $500, 5y9 or "a per )
cent The liberal participation of our far
mers in the benefits of this policy is shown |
by the following report from our consul !
general at Havana under date of July 26 !
last: During the first half year of 81 |
Havana received l40O56 bags of flour from !
Spain and other ports of the island about |
an equal amount, or approximately ESQ, liz |
bags. During the same period Havana re- |
celved IL, g76 bags of American flour and |
other ports approximately an equal |
making about 2, 600 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 Havana alone
lbs, 4S7 bags and about an equal amount to
other ports of the island, making approx
mately 337 900 for the first half OF 1892"
AMERICAN PORK.
Partly by reason of the reciprocal trade
agreement but more largely by reason of
the removal Of the sanitary restrictions up
on American pork, our export of pork pro-
ducts to Germany increased during the ten
months ending June 80 last S2,025.0 074 or
about 81 per cent. The British Trade Jour-
nal of London, In recent issue, speaking
of the increase of the American coal eX-
ports and of the falling off of the English
coal exports, says: ''lt is another case of
American competition. The United States
now supplies Cuba with about 10000
tons of coal annually. and there is every
prospect of this trade increasing as the
forests of the island become exhausted and
the use of steam machinery on the sugar
estates is developed. Alabama coal espe-
cially is securing a reputation in the Span
lSh West Indies and the river and rail i'm
provementS of the Southern states will un-
The new reciprocity policy by which the
United States is enabled 10 import Cuban
sugar Will, of course, assist the American
coal exporters even more effectively than
the new lines of railway"
DEMOCRATS PROMISE NO PROTECTION.
The Democratic platfor promises q
repeal of the tariff law containing this pro-
vision and especially denounce as sham
reciprocity that section of the law under
hich these trade arrangements have been
made. If no other issue were involved in
the campaign, this alone would give 1t
momentouS importance. Are the farmers
of the great grain growing states willing to
surrender these new, large and increasing
markets for their surplus? Are we to have
nothing in exchange for the free importa-
ton OF sugar and coffee and at the same
time to destroy the sugar planters OF the
nd 10 industry