Arizona republican., 1899-12-27
Opposition to Ratification
 by Both Houses
SEVERELY CRITICIZED
The Reductions in Tariff Rates Are Looked Upon as a Blow to the Republican Policy of Protection. The Treaties Cannot Take Effect Until They Are Approved by the House.

0OuSG.
 Washington, Dec. 26.-Such strong opposition has developed to the terms of the reciprocity treaties with France. the Argentine and the British West Indies, recently negotiated, that it is quite probable they will not be rati- fled. The treaties are in danger, not only because of the opposition to cer- tain specified provisions. but because of the belief that the house of repre- sentatives will withhold its approval could be secured in the senate It is not often that the house of representa- tives has been consulted in the making of treaties, but it's approval is neces- safy to those now pending, as they were negotiated by the president un- der section 4 of the Dingley tariff act of 1897, which provides that they shall not be proclaimed until they have been ratified by the senate and approved by congress"
 Little is known in the house of rep resentatives as yet about the terms of the treaties, but in the senate they have been scrutinized by senators on both sides of the chamber. and partic- ularly by some of the republican mem lo,. of surprised at what they found. In a general way, it is said that the French treaty contains clauses that seem to have been drawn for the purpose of giving something for nothing, and they have aroused the especial opposition of the California senators because of the provisions with regard to the admis- sion of French wines and other articles which they say would be fatally disas- trous to the fruit industry of the Pa cif1c slope. The California delegations are openly and vigorously fighting the Jamaica treaty now on account of the provision regarding the admission of citrus fruits and preparing to organize
 
 Tn the Argentine treaty the provis- ions that apparently excite the most surprise and criticism on the part of republican senators who are informed of them are those making a 20 per cent reduction in hides and wool. Already unofficial notice has come to the com- mittee that the far western states and Ohio will not consent to such a blow to industries in which they are so generally engaged, and that they will organize to fight the treaty. Strangely enough the convention with France is no more popular there than here, as it has already been severely criticized by French statesmen.
 A republican senator said that the house of representatives will undoubt- edly lcok upon the provisions making radical reductions in tariff rates as a blow to the republican policy of pro- lection, and feel that they would be unable to satisfactorily explain to their constituents why they vote the rates up in a tariff bill and down in a reciprocity treaty. A majority vote is, of course, sufficient for the approval of a treaty by the house of representa- tives, so that the republican majority can make the vote a party one if those members whose constituents are dirct- ly affected by the various provisions of the treaties GO not stand out in op-
 
 abide by caucus action.
 There seems to be a general lack of information upon the part of congress- men as to what form of legislation is involved in the approval of treaties by the house of representatives, but the parliamentary experts say that it would be in the nature of an enabling act, authorizing the secretary of the treasury to modify the administrative features of the tariff act to meet the changes made in the schedules of rates.
 The last successful treaty which was submitted to the house of representa- lives, as far as the records show, was the reciprocity treaty with Hawaii, Whicn was pTOcidliheu py IIeS4uS| Grant in 1876, it having been provided that it should not go into effect until congress passed an act for that pur- pose which it did in August of that year. In 1884 the life of the treaty was extended for seven years. In 1887 a reciprocity treaty with Mexico was negotiated and ratified by the senate. After a lively discussion, however, the house of representatives. defeated the bill designed to carry it into effect, and