Waterbury Democrat., 1901-12-03

and those who are below certain standard of economic fitness to enter our industrial field as competitors with American labor.
 The Tariff and Recipr0city.
 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 emi- nently desirable, to combine with the stability of our economic system SUD- plementary system of reciprocal bene- 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. It 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 ill every case where it is needed is maintained, and that reel procity be sought for so far as it can safely be done without injury to our 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 we'll being of the wageworker is a prime considera- ton of our entire policy of economic legislation.
 Need For Wfder 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. Whateyer is merely petty and vexatious i'll 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 OUT 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.
 It is most important that we should maintain the high level of our present 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 q constantly growing surplus for which we must find markets abroad. To secure these markets we can util- ize 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 na- tions which are so desirable will nat urally be promoted by the course thus required by our own interests.
 The natural line of, development for policy of reciprocity will be in connec- ton with those of our productions which no longer require all of the SUD- port once needed to establish them upon a sound basis and with those oth- CTS where either because of natural or of economic causes we are beyond the reach of successful competition.
 I 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. It 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- tions under which only a trifling DOT 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 would also result in benefit to all who luI6IGSlGu III tu0 cSldD- lishment of a wider market for Amer ican 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 de lings, would be of political as well as commercial benefit From ev- cry standpoint it is unwise for the United SiH Q continue to rely upon the ships !peting nations for the distribution v our goods. It should be made advantageous to carry American goods in American built ships.
 At present American shipping is un- 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 speed and mail carriers of high speed, have to meet the fact that the original cost of building American ships is greater than is the case abroad: that the wages paid American officers and sea- men are very much higher than those paid the officers and seamen of foreign competing countries. and that the