The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1897-09-18
Il DOSE or O@ ow.1
MEDLcsWE

INEFFECTIVE.
W. states.
The Argentine Republic, it ap-
pears, is determined to give this
country a dose of its own tariff
medicine as a result of the injury
done the trade of Argentine by the
excessive rates of the Dingley bill.
According to the report of Minister
Buchanan, the president of Argen-
tine has recommended to the con-
gress of the Republic that duty of
IS per cent be imposed on Ameri-
can yellow pine; duty of 125 per
cent on wagons and 100 per cent on
all kinds of agricultural machinery.
The president also asks for the au-
thority of imposing duty of 50
per cent in addition to the regular
duty whenever he thinks it is well
to lay the same.
These duties are retallatory as
well as prohibitory and the result
will be the destruction of the large
and rapidly increasing trade which
the United States has with the Ar
gentine Republic and the complete
shut-out of the markets of that
country of our manufactured
products. This action has followed
the enactment of the Dingley tariff,
which places a high duty on the
principal products of Argentine,
and especially on wool and hides.
1t was foreshadowed, however, in a
speech made three months ago at
Chicago by the representative of
the Republic, in which he pro-
tested against the Dingley bill as
beng injurious to the commercial
interests of his country, which at
the time was engaged in a sincere
effort to form closer and more ex-
tensive trade relations with the
United States.
He declared that it was the de-
sire of the people of Argentine
to exchange their raw wool and
hides for our cotton goods, machin-
cry, lumber, steel rails and other
products, but the high rates of the
new tariff law made this impossible
and under the circumstance there
was no course left to his country
other than to lay retaliatory duties
on American imports and look to
Europe to supply its wants, and
such a recommendation he would
submit to his government on his re-
turn home. That the recommends
ton was promptly accepted is
shown by the report of Minister
Buchanan in his report to the State
department., consequently the trade
which We had with Argentine and
was worth millions of dollars an
nually will soon go to England and
Germany, and the United States
will be the sufferer by its selfish
tariff policy that is already showing
its evil effects in monthly decrease
of the custom receipts and a grow
ing treasury deficit. But this is
not all. 1t il quite safe to say tina,
other foreign countries will follo~
the example set by Argentine and
retaliate against this country By
placing prohibitory duties on Amer.
lean products which find a ready
sale in their markets. Indeed, it i.
we'll to call attention to the fac,
that France and Germany already
have the matter under consideration
and it is quite probable that actor
on their part will be fastened By
the stand which Arg entine has taken
It is merely . matter of time, how
ever, when the folly of attempting
to extend our trade in the markets
of the world by building q tariff wal
around this country will be 90 full,
appreciated by our people that pro
lection will receive its death blow
and justice will rule where selfish
ness and greed are now supreme