Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1901-11-16
DELIBERATE ACTION.
PRESIDENT NOT DISPOSED TO RUSH
RECIPROCITY.
Practical Details and Results to Be
Carefully Considered Before Any of
the kasson Treaties Are Resubmftted
to the Senate for Ratification

Free Trade and other newspapers
which so gIibly misinterpTet the late
presidents attitude with regard to for
eign trade extension, and who SO con-
fidently count upon President Roose-
welt to make good their m;sinterpreta-
ton, would do well to pattern after the
intelligent reasonableness of the fol-
lowing statement by the Washington
correspondent of the New York Times:
There will be no precipitate action
by the president on the subject of reci-
procity. The agitation on this subject
in some of the newspapers, with asser-
lions bolstered up by quotations from
Mr.. Rooseveit's public assurances,
whether intended to help the cause of
reciprocity or to prejudice it, has no
warrant further than that intended in
the promise of the president to adhere
to the policies CT McKin' ey- The sub
ject is large and conpica ed one, and
not even Mr.. Mckinney, after years of
experience, was prepared to say just
what the details of reciprocity treaty
with foreign country SHOULD be.
reciprocity policy cannot be defined in
any but the most general terms by the
executive. and with the legislative
branch must rest the task of providing
the details"
1t is well and truly said that the sub
ject of rec procity is "a la.g e and COM
plicated one"-so large and so compli-
Gated that not even President McKin-
ley, with his wealth of practical
knowledge in tariff matters, could or
did claim to have mastered it. Unlike
that rather numerous brood of quick
thinkers who imagine they have solved
the intricate problem after having
given it a cursory glance, and who
don't trouble themselves about the
working details, Mr. Mckinley consid-
cred it to be his duty to go into the
reciprocity question deeply and thor
oughly. He had previously turned the
matter over to hands and heads which
he supposed were competent, only to
find out that they were bunglers and
botchers. So, in the last few months
of his life he had devoted himself
studiously to the examination of reci-
procity, alike on general principles
and in detailed workings. The result
of his painstaking investigation was
the Buffalo speech, in which he de-
clared for the enlargement of our for
eign trade through a scheme of re-
ciprocals concessions such as should
not curtail domestic production. In
his judgment. reciprocity that should
increase the imports of articles which
We ourselves produce" was not reci-
procity at all; it was free trade in dis
guise.
1t was this deep seated conviction
which animated the statement by
President Mckinley to a c-ose and con-
f1dential friend, in Washington, on the
afternoon of June 6, 1901, to the effect
that he (the president) favored only
that plan of reciprocity sanctioned by
the Republican national platform of
1900-namely, reciprocity lin articles
which we do not ourselves produce"
and that he was opposed to any scheme
of trade extension that would take
from a single American workman his
job. There is precisely where William
Mckinley stood at the end of the first
week in June. at a time when the quick
thinkers had him all thought out as
ready to abandon protection, and that
is where he stood when at Buffalo in
the first week of September he made
his last great speech.
Hence, we say, the overnight theo-
rists would do well to think again once
or twice before they attribute to the
dead president and to his successor in
Office views and purposes regarding
reciprocity not entertained by either
Mr.. Mckinley or Mr.. Roosevelt The
policy of Mckinley is to be continued
absolutely unbroken by Roosevelt The
country has this pledge recorded, as it
were, over McKinley's coffin. OF its
conscientious fulfillment by-President
Roosevelt there is no possible doubt.
There will be, as the Times Wash
ington correspondent states. mo pre-
cipitate action by the president on the
subject of reciprocity" That is, the
foolish treaties negot ated by Commits
sioner Kasson will not again be laid
before the senate for ratification. Other
treaties there may be. but, if so, they
will be treaties framed in accord with
the spirit of American prosperity and
progress. and not free trade folly un-
der the mask of so-called reciprocity.