Middletown transcript., 1892-09-15
rro,pRocrrY AND THE FARMER
JAMES A. B. DfIwoRTH.

Reciprocity, pure, simple and just, is
undoubtedly a good thing. Recipro-
city With the South American Kepuo.
lies is much to be desired. This will
not be disputed by any Republican
during the present political campaign
for such Reciprocity is advocated by
the Republican National platform.
Of course, any one who understands
the meaning Of the yord, knows. that
Reciprocity il Free Trade restricted to
a more or less limited territory.
A pertinent question, for Della
ware or Maryland Peninsula farmer
or farnworker to ask the next Re
publican orator is: How will the
Delaware and Maryland Peninsula
agriculturist, be benefit by Recipro-
city with the South American Repub.
lies, and the restriction of trade with
Englandf
During the fiscal year ending June
80, 1891, the United States exported
to the South American Republics,
sSs, ,226, 900 worth of merchandise, of
which amount. only $4,000, 600 were
the products Of the agriculturist.
Yet during that year, more than
double that value Of live stock alone
was exported from this country to
England, and six times as much
breadstuffs were sent there, while the
total value Of the exports of agricul'
tural products from the United States
to the United Kingdom in 1891,
amounted to $S75,629, 1926. 1t is un.
questionably true. that England is the
most desirable customer for the farm
products which the Delaware and
MARYLAND farmers and farmworkers
have to sell, which constitute their
entire surplus productions. 1t is
equally true, that England will always
be, or so long as the great population
which now people the United Kingdom
continues to exist, a bidder, at least
for the products Of the Peninsula
farms. But 10 such the case with
those South American Republics. with
which the Republican party now
seems to be SO anxious to establish
reciprocal relationsi Certainly not
I'VE sell but very small proportion
Of our agricultural products to the
South American States, and each
year our sale Of cereal products viii
grow less.
The great Argentine Republic, is
now competing with us in the Euro
pesn markets for Europe's trade 10
breadstufs. Land in Argentine il
cheap, rich, and easily titled. Scarce
" one acre in each hundred Of Argen
tines fertile fields are as yet culti'
vated. Agriculture, which had beer
discouraged there, and in many place
forbidden by the laws Of Spain, wa
indeed o tender infant in the Spanisl
American Republics, until very recen
years.
Under the impulse which freedom
always gives, the people of thos
Republics began to develope th'
agricultural possibilities Of Soutl
America, very soon after their inde'
pendence from Spain had been &C
complished. In the case Of the Ar
gentine Republic, almost 33 per cent
of the acres under cultivation, arr
now producing wheat, and 3S per cent
more are devoted to corn. Are tn
Delaware and Maryland farmers ant
farmworkers more interested in de-
veloping trade for their product
with Argentine than with England
Let that question be asked of an.
speaker, who advocates Blaine's and
Harrison's Reciprocity on the PENN
suls this fall. ! am quite sure tha
ifhe states The facts-or knows then
the Reciprocity Advocate canno
answer it satisfactorily to the producer
and with the Republican platform.
The Argentine Republic and Chill
each produce a great surplus of whea
and corn, and either of those countrie
are more accessible to Europe, thai
are any of our Pacific States. But il
the matter of transportation, th
Eastern States, and particularly tn
Delaware and Maryland Peninsula
have the advantage.
Why then should we not reciprocal
with England In palmer Englisf
why should not our trade with Eng
land, be at least as free and unrestricI
ed as with the South American Re
pnblics2 We can sell but little to tn
South Americans, because their want
and their productions are so nsarl
like our own, that they must Of neces
city exchange their products wit
those of other nations, the products {
which are different and their want
dissimilar from their own. w
cannot hope to exchange wheat fc
wheat, corn for corn, wool for WOO
meat for meat, and unless we can d
but little business with the Argentin
Republic and with Chill. We nee
coffee. and that we will buy with tn