The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-17
In Peccant Portland.


The Portland oregonian, like many
another, does not feel the halter draw
with good opinion Of the law" Since its
espousal of Populism II has been af-
ficted with the common Populistic reck-
lessness of statement and failure OF
memory where accuracy Is desirable. II
when 1t was a really great newspaper
to carry II through without exposure
or correction; but It reckons without its
host.
In a recent article II attacked the Re-
publican party for its indifference to
the French reciprocity treaty; declar-
ing that the great benefit Of that agree
ment would be the opening of larger
markets to the American producer.
While the statistics that IL gave were
those of manufactured products. the
whole argument was addressed to the
producers of raw materials. and the
misfortune Of permitting the treaty 10
Its original article:
The American industries particularly
benefited will be those relating to meat,
lard and pork products. The fruit inter-
ests OF Michigan and California will be
large benefciaries. The numerous pro-
duccrs OF cottonseed oil throughout the
South and the As. 900 producers of mineral
oils In the North viii Do assured for five
years OF the minimum rates OF duty.
To this the Post -Intelligeneer replied
that conditions have changed. The
enormous increase Of our foreign trade
has made II less imperative for us TO
seek markets abroad ut the price Of
sacrificing our own. Hence the grow
ing hostility TO the French treaty. And
the Oregonian answers now that II is
not raw materials but manufactured
products whose export It wishes 10 slim
ulate. We quote. for comparison. from
its later article:
The bulk OF our exports TO France are
raw materials. or as the government sta
tistlrians term them articles In crude
condition which enter into the various
processes OF domestic industry" A
more Improbable state Of trade couii
hardly Dc devised An Effort 20 cor
rect this condition. so that ~ can sell
manufactured goods In France swing
profitable employment 70 our mills and
factories. has been made in the tcciproc-
~ treaty
II will thus be seen that the point Of
view Of the Oreeonisn suffered an entire
change between Saturday and Thurs
day. although forty-eight hours Is usu-
ally sufficient for complete reversal
In It's own columns 81 any conviction
that Il may have expressed on the
former day the American Industries
| particularly benefited" we're those re-
lAting to meat. lard and pork products %
on the latter the thing 10 be desired was
/ 30 sell manufactured goods IN France.
| giving profitable employment 10 our
/ mills and factories" In the same cate
I sorry we must place its statistics which
include corpsr bars and farm fertilizers
( among raw materials" This is Pop
/ thistle and PettJgrewsome
There IS just one supposition In the
/ Oresouiau article that rests on solla
/ fact and this Is that the Pcst-In-
tenlseneer reaches numbers q inseUi-
sen, people who never see the Orcgo-
MAN" II does. indeed and the number
Is growing daily. Increase % inieln-
I stuce. and even more a love Of hon
esty and fairness In dealing with public
| questions have alienRtcd the people
/ who admired and believed in the ore
soulan before its period q lameutahle
decay. There are stnl. however. enough
vho Rad q 20 require the correction q
its more glaring misstatements and the
chasJ.semeut OF It's attacks upon hon
esiy % purpose and devotion 20 public
Interests that DO not happen 10 at its
temporary within or It's ambition for po-