Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1897-03-31
BENEFITS OF RECIPROCITY.
Set Forth by Congressman Hop
kins, OF Illinois
In the beginning OF the battle for
Prosperity the Merit. OF the
DinEIey BiIi Arc Held
Up View.


tee on ways and means, was the first
speaker. and he devoted his remarks to
an explanation OF the bill. which was
on the general lines covered by the com
mIttees report and his statement &C
companying the bill when made public.
He was followed by Gen. Wheeler, of
Alabama. who trotted out the old free
trade arguments OF former generations
OF congressman and carefully omitted
any reference to the work of the free
trade law now upon the statute books.
Then came the chief speech of the
day, and one for which members had
waited with much interest, that of
Mr. Hopkins. of Illinois. 1t was well
known That Mr.. Hopkins had made a
special study of the reciprocity features
OF the Mckinley law and their effect on
the business of the country, and that
he had been the chief factor i'm framing
tins portion of the present bill.
lie devoted the opening portion of his
remarks 10 an analysis of the Wilson
law. showing the great loss i'm revenue,
the great depression in manufactures,
the great loss to all business interests,
the great suffering of the workingmen,
and the enormous losses 20 the farmers
ing figures from official documents in
support OF his statements. Upon the
reciprocity feature of the bill MIR. Hop
kins spoke rs follows:
What however I'm my Judgment viii
prove 10 be the chief glory OF the hill N
enacted into law. IS the reciprocity prin-
ciple mat was made so prominent a part
or the law or 1870. The reciprocity portion
OF this till is framed on somewhat different
lines from that OF the law OF $50
You Will remember that under that law
the president was authorized To enter into
reciprocal agreements only when he be-
came satisfied that the government OF any
country or colony producing and export
Ing TO the United States certain articles
mat We're then upon the free list imposed
duties or eNactions upon the products OF
tht United States which in view of such
free tmportotions he deemed to be un-
reasonable and reciprocauy unjust. In the
present bin the principle of recinrocity has
bren enlarged and adapted 70 our CONNER
cal relations with France. Germany Bel
gum and other European countries as
Wen a. Mexico and the Central and South
American states
Provision or the New BiII
1T provides that for the purpose OF
equaliziuE the trade OF the United States
WIN foreign countries and their colonies
producing and exporting to this country
the articles named i'm the reciprocity
amendment that the president be author
ized as soon AS may be after the passage
or this act. and from time to time there.
eiter, To enter into negotiations with those
countries exporting TO the United States
the articles mentioned In the reciprocity
portion 81 the BILL or any OF them with
view 20 the arrangement OF commercial
agreements IN which reciprocal and equiv
al"nt concessions may be secured I'm favor
OF the products and manufactures OF the
United states: and II then provides that
"hen any such country producing any OF
the articles named shall enter into a com
mercial agreement. which, In the opiniof
or thc president, shall be reciprocal and
equivalent, he shall be and he is hereby
authorized TO suspend during the time of
such agreement or concession by proclaim
alton TO that effect the imposition and col
lection OF the duties mentioned In this
act on such articles exported to th,. United
states from the country named. and
thereupou and thereafter the duties levied
collected and paid upon such article or
articles shall be as is specified IN the
reciprocity portion OF the bill. which Is a
lower rate than the one fixed as thc regu-
lar duties to be collected
=" Make Reciprocity PopuInr
We seek. in authorizing the president 10
suspend the rates Of duty, and that there
upon and thereafter there shall be collect
ed "a lower duty than the one specified i'm
the bill, 10 make IL an object for countries
producing the articles named in the first
part Of this reciprocity bill to enter into
these reciprocal agreements or maxi,
equivalent concessions IN favor Of IN.
products OF our farms and factories which
enter their markets. Let me illustrate:
We furnish for Germany to-day bor
largest market for beet sugar Millions
OF dollars worth Of this product manufac-
tured IN Germany IS yearly consumed bv
American citizens. In framing this hin
M order 10 raise sufficient revenue TO run
the government and meet all the expendf-
lures that the atministra ton NAV boz
GATED upon 20 pay, we have imposed q Ger
tain rate OF duty on sugar. Commenciue
with / cent per pound on all sugars thai
VIII test 20 degrees 10y the poIariscono