The weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1891-1894, 1892-06-11
A POOR EXCHANGE.
RECIPROCITY ON ONE HAND, RE-
TALlATION ON THE OTHER.

Balance of %:O,O 600, 900 in Our Favor.
A hundred years ago Thomas Jeffer-
son declared for peace, commerce and
honest friendship with all nations-en-
tangling alliance with none" This has
been n of the guiding principles of our
solons. and because of it we have had
few serious difficulties with foreign ma
tons. To be sure the protective system,
fastened upon us in 1861, has done much
to destroy our with the rest
of the world. But then it treated all
nations alike, and besides it was a policy
which, while it has injured most other
nations slightly. has been a veritable
curse on our own people. Hence so long
as we do not complain others surely
should not do so, though they may pity
us for IL shortsightedness.
But this new tangled economic doc
trine called reciprocity" which has
been hitched up with protection"
while it may induce a few other nations
to lower their duties and untax their
people, and can do us but little harm by
taxing four or five articles. makes a rad
ical departure from Jefferson's sound
policy, which already threatens to in
volve us in serious commercial difficult
ties that may later lead to open HOSTILE
ties. The attempts to coerce foreign ma
tons to change their revenue policy and
the discrimination made against many
countries have already produced com
plants and threats. The independence
Beige has contained a number of articles
by Senior [bane, accusing the United
States of unjust designs upon South
America. In n Of them he says:
THAT the reciprocity treaty with
Brazil was wrested from Senior Fonseca
by illegitimate means; that the United
States openly supported Balmaceda
against the national rising in order to
obtain from Chill a commercial treaty
wholly in favor Of the North American
Union; that the Republican party will
renew it with fresh vigor if the Demo-
Gratis do not oust it from power: that it
will likewise attempt to coerce Argen-
tina unless the latter combines with
Brazil and Chill to resist Yankee en-
croachment."
He then appeals to the countries of
western Europe to combine with South
American countries to resist the COM
mercial designs of the United States.
This is only me of the many manifesto
of a spirit of resentfulness that is
growing out of this mischief working
policy. One or two of the South Ameri-
can countries that have made treaties of
reciprocity already feel dissatisfied and
threaten to annul them. The blighting
effect upon commerce between the Uni
ted States and Canada. of the Mckinley
bill, and the unceremonious way in
which we refused to treat with the
diplomats sent here twice
since the adoption of reciprocity how
seems likely to lead to a tariff war with
Our trade with this country
exceeds our trade with all other coun-
tries OF the western continent. And be-
sides, it is the only one of these countries
in which the balance of trade is in our
If our bungling attempt to prop
up the decaying system Of protection
with reciprocity" impairs our COM
merce with Canada it will do more in
jury here than it could possibly do good
We extract the following from the
New York Times of April 2S:
Signs are growing that Il tariff war
with Canada may not be much longer
delayed. There have been whisperings
OF this prospect since the Mckinley bill
out this market from Canadian
farmers. The people across the border
long ago learned to make allowances for
campaign needs in this country, and
stood snubbing good naturally SO long
it did not affect trade. Now that their
are touched, they feel like hit
ting back. They sold II 200. 900 bushels
Of barley here every year until the pres
tariff came into force. Now they
sell 1900, 900 bushels. In return they
our manufactures.
The impression has been fostered by
high tariff men that Canada would
be the gamer by a trade arrangement be-
tween the two countries. Figures show
the contrary. 1t appears, indeed, that
The balance of trade has been very largely
N favor of the United States. Any re-
.taliatory legislation by the Dominion
government would hit American manu.
lecturers much more seriously than the
Mckinley bill affects Canadian farmers.
discussing yesterday the prospect of
such retaliation, a gentleman who has
IA thorough study of our CONNER
,ial relations with Canada. both from
he United States and the Dominion
point of view, said:
1T can be shown that the clauses of
he Mckinley tariff which affect u
commerce with Canada. and the condi-
of the reciprocity measure which
exclude that country from its operations,
ire unjustitiable and impolitic and com
subversive of the very objects
which the Wanted joint policy processes
n orrnmnlicb |