The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1892-09-09

lions OF Central and South America, San Do
mingo, the Britt West Indies and Germany
and Austria, under special trade arrange
ments with each. The removal of the duty on
sugar and the continuanle of coffee and tea
upon the free list, while giving great relief to
our own people by cheapenins articles used
increasingly in every hou sehold, was also of
such enormous advantage to the countries ex-
porting these articles as to suggest that in
consideration thereof reciprocal favors should
be shown in their tariffs to articles exported
by US to their markets
Credit to Mr.. Blaine.
Great credit is due to Mr.. Blaine for the
vigor with which he pressed this view upon
the country. We have only begun to realize
the benefit of these trade arrangements. The
work of creating new agencies and of adapt
ing our goods to new mar kets has necessarily
Ia ken 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 free importation of such articles as
do not inJuriously compete with the products
OF our farms, mines or factories, in exchange
Tor the free or favored introduction OF our
produce into other countries.
Greatly Increased Foreign Trade.
The obvious effect of this policy in increasing
the foreign trade of the United States at once
attracted the attention and alarmed Euro
pean trade journals and boards of trade. The
British board of trade has presented to that
government a memorial asking for the APP
pointment of q commission to consider the
best means of counteracting what is called
1.-THE Commercial Crusade of the United
States" At meeting held in March last of
the associated chambers of Great Britain the
presidents reported that the exports from
Great Britain to the Latin American countries
during the last year had decreased S23, $50, 500,
and that this was not due to temporary causes
directly raciOr0citv Of no
United States. Germany and France have also
showed their startled apprehension of the fact
that a new and vigorous contestant has ap-
peared in the battlefield and has already se-
cured important advantages.
The Most Convincing Evidence
of the tremendous commercial strength of our
position is found in the fact that Great Britain
and Spain have found it necessary to make
reciprocal trade agreements with US for their
West Indies, and that Germany and Austria
have given us important concessions in ex-
change for the continued free importation of
their beet sugar. A few details only as to the
increase of our trade can be given here. TAX
ing all the countries with which such arrange
ments have been made, our trade to June 30
1892, had increased S3.7S per cent. With Brazil
the increase was nearly II per cent; with Cuba,
during the first ten months our exports in
creased s6,7O2, 1913 or 54.S6 per cent, and Porto
Rico A per cent.
Restrictions on Pork Removed.
Partly by reason of the reciprocal trade
agreement, but more largely by reason of the
removal of the sanitary restrictions upon
American pork, our export of pork products to
Germany increased during the ten months
June 81 last 5 ,iG5, IA, or about 81 per cent.
The British Trade JOurna, OF London, in re-
cent issue, speaking of the increase of Ameri.
can coal exports and of the falling Off of the
English coal eXDOrtS 10 Cuha saws.
ut 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"
Protection Approved.
The declaration of the platform in favor of
the American doctrine of protection meets my
most hearty approval. The convention did
MT adopt schedule, but principle that is
to control all the tariff schedules. There may
be differences of opinion among protectionists
as to the rate upol particular articles neces-
saryto effect an equalization between condi-
tions abroad and at home. In some remote
national campaigns the issue has been made
to appear between high and low protective
tariff, both parties expressing some solicitious
regard for the wages of our working people
and of the prosperity of our domestic indus
tries, but under more courageous leadership
the Democratic party has now practically de-
clared that, if given power, it will enact a
tariff law without any regard 10 its effect upon
wages or upon the capital nvested i'll our great
Industries.
A Democratic Admission.
The majority report of the committee on
platform to the Democratic national conyen
ton at Chicago contains this clause:
rl,ot l.
upon articles or any kind produced in this
country the difference between the cost of
labor here and abroad, when such difference
exists, fully measures any possible benefit to
the laborers and the enormous additional i'm
position of existing tariff fall with crushing
force upon our farmers and workingmen."
Here we have distinct admission of the
Democratic convention that American work.
ingmen are advanced by tariff rate equal to
the difference between home and foreign
wages and a declaration only against the al
legged additional imposition" of the existing
tariff law.
Effect of the Tariff Law.
And now few words in regard to the exist
ing tariff law. We ere fortunately able to
judge OF its influence upon production
and prices by market reports. The day of the
calamity prophet has been succeeded by that
of the trade reporter, An examination into
the eIIecC Oh Inc law upon prices or produced
goods and of the cost of such articles as enter
into the living of people of small means has
been made by a senate committee composed
of leading senators of both parties with the
aid of the best statisticians and the report
signed by all the members of the committee
has been given to the public. No such wide
and careful inquiry has ever before been
made. These facts appear from the report;
First-The cost of articles entering into the
use Of those earning less than S1,0UO per an
aum has decreased up 70 May, 1892, 34 per
cent, while In farm products there has been
an increase in prices owing in part to an in
creased foreign demand and the opening of
new markets. In england during the same
period the cost of living has increased liz per
cent. Tested by their power to purchase arti-
Giles of necessity, the earnings of our working
people have never been a, good as they are
now.
Second-There has been an average advance
in the rate of wages of LIE per cent.
Th!rd-There has been an advance in the
price of all farm products of Is IL per cent,
and of all cereals 1883 per cent.
Peck's Report Mentioned.
The ninth annual report of the chief of the
bureau of fsatistics of the state of New York
a Democratic officer-very recently issued,
strongly corroborates as to that state the facts
found by the senate committee. His extended
inquiry that in the year Immediately follow
ing the passage of the tariff act of 1893 the ag-
gregate sum paid in wages in that state was
$6,37T,925 in excess, and The aggregate produce
tion $3l 3l5, l3O in excess of the preceding year.
In view of this showing of an increase in
n q rpdn in fha ~f al of