The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1901-02-22

/ Recently, Secretary Gage, Of the
/ treasury department., under the rules
Of the Dingley bill giving him discre-
tionary power as secretary Of the treas
uTy In certain cases, placed counter
vailing duty Of one cent a pound on
sugar imported from Russia It seems
that Russia had submitted a PROPOSE
ton, some time ago, for a reciprocity
agreement with the United States, and
while this matter was still pending,
Gage, to both please and profit the
sugar trust, placed this duty on Rus
sian sugar.
NJ De Wette, the Russian finance
commissioner, retaIiated by putting
so per cent duty on American steel
and iron goods, machinery and tools
imported, directly or indirectly, into
Russia from the United States. From
statistics it appears that exports from
this country to Russia, Of this class Of
goods, last year amounted to 81, COO,
/ 600. This is a fair example of how the
protective tariff system works to hadi-
cap and hinder American trade and
commerce. 1t has nearly driven our
merchant marine from the high seas
and has hindered our trade with Mex
leo, the Central American and South
American states. La the game Of
practically prOhibitive tariff other ma
lions can take a hand.
1t viii, perhaps, be remembered that
when the Mckinley bill was enacted
a duty on Mexican lead ores was put
up to $50 a hundred weight, a rate
absolutely prOhibitive, whereas before
this they had been admitted practical
" free. This was done to protect a
cOterie of American lead ore mining
corporations. Mexico retaliated by
putting up a high protective tariff
against the entire schedule of Ameri-
can goods of all kinds, foodstuffs and
manufactured articles. No one could
blame Mexico. The lead ores imported
from Mexico were needed for fuxing
purposes in all the smeIters Of the
United States, in FL PasO, Pueblo, Den
yer, Kansas City, Omaha and else
where.
As a consequence Of this condition Of
! things, the Mexican tariff is nearly
prohibitive against American goods,
while England, France and Germany
! have amicabIe tariff and trade rela-
lions with the republic Of Mexico that
gives them decided trade advantages;
and all this because of our unfriendIy
| tariff legislation, and despite the fact
that in the summer of 1865 this govern
ment sent $4,000 troops to the frontier
Of Mexico 80 enforce the Monroe doc
trine against France and the empire of
Macmillan Diaz, the president of
Mexico, was then a general in the lib
eral army.
Mexico is our next-door neighbOr
and naturally our closest financial and
commercial friend: but as a result of
the aforementioned facts about the
| tariff these other nations have the
] precedence in trade and the United
States is at the tail end of the list. a
few figures are given. The Mexican
duty on American saddles is 81 a
pound in Mexican money. On Amer
| lean vehicles the tariff is SIS a wheel
and ad vaIOrem additional. American
flour in Mexico, with the tariff and
freight added, costs 50 a hundred
weight The Shutter farm and lumber
wagons cost from $3.50 to $3.50. Gas
Oline and kerosene costs 81 a gallon.
/ The natural result is that all over
Mexico cotton and wooden mills, smelt-
ers, machine shops, boundaries, manu-
factories Of saddles and harness,
shoe factories, tanneries, wagon fact
tories, cabinetmaking establishments,
ETC., have sprung up and are doing a.
good business. The tariff on machinery
Is liberal. A manufacturer buys Amer
lean machinery and pays the duty.
When set up and running, the govern
ment rebates the amount Of duty paid,
/ if the machinery IS owned and Operat-
ed by the purchaser. When bought to
be re-sOld there is no rebate Of duty.
It viii be readily seen that Mexico
| before many years viii manufacture
the great staples needed by its people
and later on VIII export less raw ma
/ teriaI from year to year and more Of
the manufactured article. Under a
reasonable trade arrangement We
would take her raw material and sell
her our manufactured articles. We
would take her tropical fruits and sell
her our farm products In putting up
high tariff bars We destroy a natural
market for our farms and factories.
In the case Of Russia, she was our
staunchest friend In the time Of the
civil war, while other European ma
tions we're cOvertly hostile to Us. We
owe her a debt Of gratitude and should