Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-12
From Kentucky's Breckin-
ridge, Who Wants the
Reciprocity Act
STRUCK FROM THE LAWS.
He Claims II Is Unconstitutional and
Gives the President
POWER TO IMPOSE TAXATION
Without Express Action BY Congress Being
at ALI Necessary.
RECIPROCITY FOR ALL OR FOR NONE

WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-THE Repub.
lican principle of reciprocity, as en-
bodied in the Mckinley act, and prac.
ticed by the present administration, was
assailed for the first time by the Democrats
this session in a resolution which Repre-
sentative Breckingridge, of Kentucky, to-
day asked unanimous consent to offer in the
House. This resolution, which is the sub
ject of great discussion tonight, and the in
PRODUCTION of which was objected to by Mr..
Burrows, of the Republican side, recites
the letters written by the Secretary of
State, by direction of the President, to the
diplomatic representatives of Venezuela,
Nicaragua, Colombia, Honduras and other
nations, calling attention to the reciprocity
section of the Mckinley act, and stating
that the President deems the duties i'm
posed by these countries to be reciprocslly
unequal and unreasonable, and that unless
on o. before March 10 next some satisfactory
commercial arrangement is entered into,
the President will issue a proclamation sus-
pending the provision of this section; and
further recites that such action by the
President would be unconstitutional, on
erous and unjust. and instructs the Commit
tee on Ways and Means to report, before
February IS bill repeating the third Sec
tion of the Mckinley act.
A Sweeping Amendment
The President is also authorized, without
further legislation, to declare the ports of
the United States free and open to all the
products of any nation of the American
hemisphere upon which no export duties
are imposed, so long as such nation shall
admit to its ports free of all national, mu-
nicipal and other taxes, -four, cornmeal and
other breadstuffs, preserved meats, fish,
vegetables and fruits, cottonseed OIL rice
lumber, agricultural implements, etc, or
such other products as may be agreed upon.
81 believe" said Mr. Breckenridge, to an
Associated Press reporter, that the third
section of the Mckinley act is unconsti-
tutiousl in comforting upon the President
the power to impose taxes without Con-
gressional action. l also believe that the
retaliation allowed in that act is not only
unwise as regards our relations, but is
really burdensome to our citizens, for it
imposes duties which they have to paw.
And where this retaliatory measure is
adopted only as to certain nations it makes
an unjust discrimination which may also
not only be arbitrary, but may be not free
to have that clause of the act repealed;
and while it may not be possible to do that,
1 desire to call the attention of the country
to this measure, and thought it might be
done by connecting this movement in the
House with the letter which Mr.. Blaine had
written and which had been published all
over the country"
Universal Reciprocity Wanted.
"And yet,'' continued Mr.. Breckinridge,
''being in favor of the freest possible trade
consistent with the raising of the needed
revenues of the Government, appended to
the resolution instructing the Committee on
Ways and Means to report bill repeating
the third section of the Mckinley act, an
instruction to report in lieu of it a true
reciprocity provision by which the Presi-
dent is given the power, which indubi-
tably is constitutional, to open the ports of
America to the products of such countries
as do make true reciprocal arrangements
with us.
81 do not entirely agree with some of the
leading Democratic statesmen as to the
reciprocity treaties and arrangements
There are grave objections to them, but 1
think them better than prohibitory tariffs.
And if we cannot enact such revenue laws
as 1 desire, prefer to see reciprocal ar
rangements made as far as they can be with
movement in favor of freer trade will serve
as an educational process, accustoming the
country to better views and practices in
our commercial relations.
why This Time Was Selected.
81 was further led to offer this resolution
Just at this particular moment because the
Committee on WAYS and Means has not vet
had time to become entirely organized and
get to work on the various propositions
which have been submitted to it, and by
selecting at this particular juncture this
particular provision of the Mckinley act 1 |
might concentrate the attention of the |
country upon it, separated from the other |
provisions of that act. 1 selected as the |
provision to be reported by the |
Ways and Means Committee one that had |
the saction of a large number, if |
not, indeed, of all the Democratic Senators |
in the Fifty-first Congress And while
there may be differences of opinion in our
party as to the extent to which it is wise to |
60 there is no difference among us that the |
provision adopted in the Mckinley bill |
ought to be repealed and that some liberal
could be well enacted in lieu of it. %
The Resolution Well Received.
Mr.. Breckinridge's resolution appears to
be well received by the majority of the
Ways and Means Committee: 81 think very
tavorably of the proposition of Mr.. Breck-
inridge," said Chairman Springer. 'Of
course, 1 cannot say what the committee
may decide to do in the matter am in
favor of reciprocity, but whether l would
be willing to go to the extent provided in
the articles mentioned in the resolution L
cannot say. That question, however, is a
mere matter of detail, and does not affect
the vital principle embodied in Mr.. Breck-
inridge's resolution
Mr. Breckinridge asked unanimous con-
sent to offer the resolution above described,
but Mr. Burrows, of Michigan, objected
Mr.. Breckinridge then asked that it be re-
ferred TO the Committee on WAYS and
Means, and Mr.. Burrows repeated his OBJ