The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-04-04
TO SUPPLEMENT MR.. CLEvELAND's
INACTION.

Representative Meiklejohn, of Ne
braska, has introduced bill TO coun-
teract foreign discriminating duties, ex-
actions and conditions ON American
products. The bill Is intended as de-
fensive measure for the protection OF
products of the United States against the
unfriendly action of other countries.
Our meat exports have already been ex-
cluded from Germany. France and Bel
GUM, and are threatened with exclusion
by other countries. Our canned goods
and other American products have been
Disseminated against. The bill referred
to provides that whenever any foreign
nation shall impose discriminating du-
ties or restrictions on any American
product or shall increase the export
bounty on any product of its own so as
to give it an artificial advantage over
the American product 1.-The President of
the United States shall have the power.
and 1t shall be his duty to declare the
same by proclamation; whereupon the
Secretary Of the Treasury is empowered,
and 1T shall be his duty definitely to de-
of such discriminating duty or exaction
or conditions imposed or the amount of
such increase Of export bounty or
premium. and communicate the facts to
the President, who shall thereupon, and
to countervail said discriminating duty,
exaction, condition, imposed or increased
bounty or premium. direct the Secretary
of he TIRE N od SO
the rate Of duty then imposed by law on
such products. imported from such ma
tons, as he may designate, to an amount
equal to the discriminating duty or ex-
action or increased export bounty or
premium, and such increased duty Is
hereby declared and levied accordingly.
subject to the action Of the President, as
herein declared"
This is based on the principle of re-
taliation. The significant feature of it is
that 1t simply makes it obligatory on the
President to do what he already has the
power to do by existing law. Section
of the meat inspection law of 1890 is as
follows:
Whenever the President shall be satisfied
that unjust Determinations are made by or
under the authority of any foreign state
against the importation 10 or sale in such
foreign state of any product OF the United
States, he may direct tnat such products of
such foreign state SO discriminating against
any product of the United States as he may
deem proper, shall be excluded from impor-
tation to the United States; and in such case
he shall make proclamation of his direction
In the premises, and therein name the time
when such direction against importation
shall take effect, and after such date the
Importation of the articles named in such
proclamation shall be unlawful
This law has been in force nearly six
years. Tie exclusion Of American meats
by Germany occurred in January. 1895,
and France and Belgium followed soon
after. The action of all these countries
was due to the repeal of the reciprocity
treaties aud the imposition of a differcn-
tial duty on all sugar coming from coun-
tries which paid an export bounty
thereon. In other words. it was due to
Democratic legislation. There has not
been a day since these countries excluded
American meats that President Cleve-
land has not had the power to retaliate
by excluding any or AL the products of
He has had the power, but he has not
seen fit to exercise it. The bill just IN
troduced proposes to make it obligatory
on him. or whoever may be President.
to exercise the power. If Republican
President had been elected in 1892 Amer
lean meats would not have been ex-
cluded from European countries, but if
for any cause they had been and the
President had possessed retaliatory pow
err such as Mr.. Cleveland possesses 1t
would have been exercised and the Euro
pean governments would have been
brought to time" The Republican par
ty stands for American interests.