The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-13
CUT The TAXES
Continued From First page.


treasury does not regard such move
as in the least unlikely. In reply to the
suggestion that it would be greatly to
the injury of these countries to raise
the price of bread by SO doing, Mr.. Gage
replies that in fight one expects to re-
eeive as well as to deliver blows.
Retaliation means commercial war.
The European countries would suffer by
shutting out our food stuffs, but this
country would likewise be hurt by loss
of this important market The whole
country would suffer industrially, hut
the people who would feel 1t most would
be the farmers, the cattle raisers, the
growers of wheat and corn and the
millers. The steel manufacturers would
not be hurt very much. They have
reached the point where they are the
greatest producers in their line in the
world. They can make their products
cheaper and in greater perfection and
quantity than any competitor. Their
market is the earth. They sell in Rus
sia Japan, the Holy Land and in the
steel manufacturing towns of England.
They sell cheaper abroad than at home,
because the home market is protected by
the tariff and they have no competition.
The steel trust naturally opposes a, re-
duction of the tariff on steel. 1t is to be
expected that c.. H. Schwab, its pres
ident, should come to Washington, as
he did the other day, and advise against
such action. And it is to be expected
that the members of the ways and
means committee who have at heart the
interests of the steel trust and the other
great manufacturing combinations
should try to persuade the president to
oppose tariff tinkering."
Until very recently influential Repub-
licans in congress did not openly oppose
reciprocity and tariff revision. In view
of the fact that the last Republican plat
form, adopted at Philadelphia, declares
in favor of that policy it did not seem
possible for them to openly oppose it.
Here is what the platform says:
eve favor the (associateO policy of
reciprocity. so directed as to open our
markets on favorable terms for what we
do not ourselves produce in return for
free foreign markets.
Congressman Dalzell, of Pennsylvania,
when interviewed last August on this
subject said he favored reciprocity
along the lines of the recommendation
in the Republican platform. Dalzell is
member of the committee on ways and
means which will deal with this legisla-
tion
Since the election last week there has
been remarkable change in the attitude
of the Republicans in congress who
have most influence on legislation. They
have openly repudiated the Republican
platform and say they do not want reel
procity of any kind. They are talking
and working for a policy of leave well
enough alone"
Game of Give and Take.
The dozen or more reciprocity treaties
which have been negotiated with
European powers ana which are waiting
for congressional sanction, are likely to
cause serious embarrassment with the
countries which have entered into these
trade agreements. This is the opinion,
not only of Special Commissioner Kas-
sen, who negotiated them, but it is the
belief of the secretary Of state, John
sHay, and the secretary of the treasury,
Lyman ]. Gage. Foreign powers do not
understand how the treaty-making pow
er can be mixed up with the legislative
department of government. They en-
tered into these trade compacts in entire
good faith. 1t was a game of give and
take. They lowered their tariffs to GER
tain of our products, and we promised
to lower ours to certain of theirs. They
were given to understand that the party
in power was favorable to the making of
agreements of this kind The president
of the United States was VIGOROUSLY an
advocate of such a policy. The platform
of the Republicans declared specifically
for such treaties. So they made them.
But congress met and was in session
for months without giving the treaties
even serious consideration. BY special
negotiations the treaties were extended
in time so they might be considered by
new congress elected under similar aus
p.ces But even before this comes to-
gether it's influential members declare
openly against the whole reciprocity
policy. The president even is urged to
reverse the recommendation in the ma
tional platform and advise congress to
take action of an adverse character.
The GuroNean powers are not in a hui
NOR to lock upon the new American pol
icy with complacency. They have watch
ed the enormous growth of American
trade, and have seen our manufactures
enter even their own countries and un-
dersell their product in the very town
or city where they make 1t. They have
felt American competition in the markets
of South America and the far East, and
have seen their trade gradually taken
from them. They have witnessed the
steady shrinking of the volume of mer-
chandise which they have been accu5-
toned to sell in the United States. They
find themselves debtor to America in
enormous sums. Altogether they think
it is about time for the United States to
let down the bars and be bit good-na-
tured. Otherwise they are prepared to
and build their trade fences higher.
waiting for Message.
Great interest will attach toa President