The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1892-05-19

hHpI III -hHlFlHidl COM lnfli anu tAti
more particularly in regard Ia the -tcp.
that have been laken by he present al
mini-iration with Il view 81 Increasing
our lrade with the countries al Central
and south America. TIA" vital import
ancc ot thi- subject To the commercial
and business Interests Of liz nited
States needs only Il statement ri the con-
dition of our trade during Ia, past. to he
easily and fully realized. lor instance
the total amount of all import INTO this
country from Central and south .Nmrri-
can countries and from tuba aud Porto
Rico during the ten year. ending jun 3nil
lNS9- are shown by official statistics IL
have amounted Ia oyer 1000 millions ii
dollar, While during 1 hc -ailc period our
exports To tlese countries have on1y
amounted to AN aggregate of about J0O
millions. leaving during that time "A
balance OF trade against the nted
states of tile enormous -um 81 a fun one
thousand millions of dollar. II become,
evident that this subject OF Increasing
our trade with these countries j. on
which should merit he mu-t -crioll-
consideration of the ablcst statesmen of
the llltcd States. But ulanY thing
were 10 be thought Of before thi- result
could he brought about il required
not only favorable legislation hv Ihp
Congress of this country hut also CO.
operation upon the part oil the Other
countries. Gun relations nni. in The
first place be- made more intimate and
friendly. facilities for transportation and
for the conduct Of business must be- in
creased.
In abiding to the tarin the speaker
said;
IL think ii safe Ia say thai the system
of protective tariff i to-day believed in
toy large majority of the business men.
producers and farmers Of the uited
States. do not refer Ia the detailed
provisions of the present or any other
particular tariff law. but only Ia the
system which is believed in and adVucat-
ed by the Republican party through IL
leaders. newspapers and platforms. New
the essential principle ot The protective
system a. ! understand ii i simply this
In" Republican party believes that the
immense sum of MONEY Which must liz
necessarily III some way raised in this
country Tor the purpose at paving all ot
the great annual EXPENSES OF our uaiiun-
al government should he raised bN Il
tariff upon imports 81 adjusted that all
articles that cannot lac successfully
raised or manufactured in this country
should he admitted absolutely tree OF
duty. hut that upon thr other hand all
products either of the soil or of the
factory upon which labor has been eN-
pended aud which comes into direct
competition with the same articles pro-
duccd in this country should he 80 taxed
As to provide all the necessary revenues
of government. hccau~r in this WAY Two
good objects are accomplished AT Ihr
same time. viz: the protection ot Nmcri-
cam labor and the payment bN foreign
competitors of lllrlrVcmtl.> Of our 9ul,'rn-
lncnt.
The speaker alluded Ia the iuXi-
lation for an international conference
which Mr.. Blaine extended in November.
lSNl. hui which WAS postponed. Nitcr
referring 10 this proposed conference al
lSS2. MIR. NisWcll said. In his pro
posed Congress there Wa~ To he no r.
ference 10 or discus sion ol the many in
pOr,ani measures which We're necessary
to bring about closer commercial re-
lation> in order hat each oi the cuun-
tries interested should have burger
market for it, own peculiar surplus pro-
ducts This is perhaps tu be accounted
for by the fact that there Wa no lcm-la-
tive action by Congress, prior to the
iiur that this invitation was extended.
II must he believed. that that distinguished
American To whose broad and apprrhrn-
-iVc foresight, the people OF this country
are principally indebted for the rccpro-
city clause of the la- tArill bill, had in
mind when he conceived the ilea and in
augur;ltcd the plan ui AN American Ton
~rr>>. the great economic benefit thai
would necessarily result To the cumiucf-
ciAl world of the two Americas from the
assembling in an international Congress
of delegates from these various colln-
tries and from the Information which
would thereby h, obtained and the more
intimate relations formed
The speaker dWcll at some length
ON the purposes and acts ri the CON
.rc-s that assembled in lSs9.
The product al this country can my
cr rNporl To south America a great pro
portion ui thri.' surplus products until
communications are enormously incrrtl>-
rd bet Wcru our port and tllo>, of south
American countries At The present
time or AT least until within the last few
years. there We're bur 56 american
steamships engaged in international
tratlrant all kinds, with "A total cauaritN
of lbs 900 tons. while EngEnd'~ mer-
chant fleet consisted of ll9G hip
measuring : - million tom. The re-
-ul1 ni this has been that the carving
tIn,l, has been controlled bv European
merchants. the merchandise than W.
hu\ i'm south America j. largely brought
to Us by foreign ships which instead ot
rrtulnin" to south American countries
with our good, sail for European port