The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-12-06

such action by the state and the munfc
ipality than by the nation. But or
points such as those touched on above
the national government can act.
He asserts that the immigration laws
are unsatisfactory and that a law
should be enacted to keep out not only
anarchists, but persons of low moral
tendency or of unsavory reputation
; and those who are below a certain
our industrial field as competitors with
American labor.
The Tariff and Reciprocity.
| The president declares that nothing
could be more unwise than to disturb
the business interests of the country by
any general tariff change at this time
| He adds:
/, Yet it is not only possible, but emf,
! nently desirable, to combine with the
stability Of our economic system a sup
! Elementary system of reciprocal benz
fit and obligation with other nations,
Such reciprocity is an incident and re-
! suit of the firm establishment and
| preservation of our present economic
! policy. 1t was specially provided for
! In the present tariff law.
Reciprocity must be treated as the
| handmaiden of protection. Our first
| duty is to see that the protection grant
| ed by the tariff in every case where it
| Is needed is maintained, and that reel.
/ procity be sought for so far as it can
] 81 yIyifh mi, To nr1r
/ home industries. Just how far this is
| must be determined according to the
! individual case, remembering always
! that every application of our tariff pol
| icy to meet our shifting national needs
must be conditioned upon the cardinal
fact that the duties must never be
| reduced below the point that will cover
| the difference between the labor cost
| here and abroad. The well being of
the wageworker is a prime considera-
| ton of our entire policy Of economic
legislation.
Need For Wider Markets.
| Subject to this proviso of the proper
/ protection necessary to our Industrial
well being at home, the principle of
| reciprocity must command our hearty
! support. The phenomenal growth OF
our export trade emphasizes the ur-
| gency of the need for wider markets
and for a liberal policy in dealing with
| foreign nations. Whatever is merely
| petty and vexatious in the way of
| trade restrictions should be avoided.
| The customers to whom we dispose of
! our surplus products in the long run,
directly or indirectly, purchase those
surplus products by giving us some
| thing in return. Their ability to pur-
! chase our products should as far as
possible be secured by so arranging
our tariff as to enable us to take from
them those products which we can use
without harm to our own industries
| and labor or the use Of which will be
of marked benefit to US.
1t is most important that we should
! prosperity. We have now reached the
point in the development of our in
terests where we are not only able to
| supply our own markets, but to pro-
duce constantly growing surplus for
which we must find markets abroad.
To secure these markets we can util-
lie existing duties in any case where
they are no longer needed for the pur-
pose of protection, or in any case
! where the article is not produced here
and the duty is no longer necessary
for revenue, as giving us something to
! offer in exchange for what we ask.
The cordial relations with other ma
tons which are SO desirable will nat
urally be promoted by the course thus
required by our own interests.
The natural line Of development for a
policy of reciprocity will be in connec-
ton with those of our productions
which no longer require all of the sup
port once needed to establish them
upon a sound basis and with those 9TH
of economic causes we are beyond the
, reach of successful competition.
! ask the attention of the senate to
! the reciprocity treaties laid before it by
my predecessor.
The Merchant Marine.
The condition Of the American mer-
chant marine is such as to call for i'm
mediate remedial action by the con-
gress. 1t is discreditable to us as a
nation that our merchant marine
should be utterly insignificant in COM
parison to that Of other nations which
we overtop in other forms of business.
| We should not longer submit to condi-
lions under which only trifiing por-
ton of our great commerce is carried
in our own ships. To remedy this state
of things would not merely serve to
build up our shipping interests, but it
are interested In the permanent estab
nshment of wider market for Amer
lean products and would provide an
auxiliary force for the navy. Ships
work for their own countries Just as
railroads work for their terminal
points. Shipping lines, if established to
the principal countries with which we
have dealings, would be of political as
we'll as commercial benefit. From ev-
cry standpoint it is unwise for the
United States to continue to rely upon
the ships Of competing nations for the
distribution of our goods. It should be
made advantageous to carry American
goods in American built ships.
At present American shipping is I'M
der certain great disadvantages when
put in competition with the shipping
Of foreign countries. Many of the fast
foreign steamships, at speed of four
teen knots or above, are subsidized,
and all our ships, sailing vessels and
steamers alike, cargo carriers of slow
Sneed and mail carriers of high Sneod.