The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1901-06-24
Responsible for Possible Anti
American Tariffs.
DESIGNATED BY NAME
2 Californians and 3 New England
ers Who Opposed Reciprocity.
LEADING QUESTION FOR CONGRESS
Belief That President Mckinley in
His Message Will RECON-
mend Reciprocity.

From The Journal Bureau. Room 10, Post
Building, Washington
Washington, June 24.-If the commercial
hard feeling developing among the for
eign competitors of the United States re-
suits in tariff war the people who will
be chiefly responsible are Senators Bard
and Perkins OF California. and Lodge, Al
drich and Platt of New England. The
Jamaican reciprocity treaty was the one
which was first considered in the senate
committee. After it came the French
treaty. If start had been made several
of the treaties would doubtless have been
ratified. But the California men opposed
the Jamaican one and the New England
senators fought the French treaty. About
S500,000 worth of oranges come in every
year from Jamaica, and the proposal to
reduce the tariff on these oranges 20 per
cent gave California orange growers a fit.
So the prospect of a little competition
with the knitting mills of New England
by foreign hose made an obstructionist of
Lodge and his colleagues.
Secretary Gage is among those who be-
lieve in commercial war quite within the
y.
He deplores the prospect. He believes
the injury of retaliatory tariffs would be
serious. 1t is not impossible that even
our wheat and breadstuffs might be put
under the ban. A commercial war, he
points out, is like any other war The
purpose of the warning parties is to injure
the other. In so doing they may injure
themselves; but they are ready to take
punishment as we'll as to infict 1t. So,
while it might hurt the people of Germany
or France to have our cereals and meats
kept out, it would do US a great and un-
deniable damage
What Russia Is Doing.
The Russian government, without know
ing II, is helping mightil5 in the work of
creating condition of public sentiment in
this country that will bring the closely
related questions of the trusts and. re-
clprocity to the front as the principal
topics, for debate in congress next winter.
and the principal issues in the campaign
next year. All last week practically the
only question of general public interest in
this city was the order of the Russian
government imposing, by way of retalia-
tion, higher duties upon certain Ameri-
can goods which are being. consumed quite
literally in that country
Russia action has focused attention in
significant way upon the United States
senate, which for two years has wiIfully
ignored certain important reciprocity
treaties, drawn up in good faith by the
diplomatic representatives of various
friendly European powers acting in re-
sponse to special invitations from this
government. On both sides the high con-
tracing parties were quick to see that the
treaties meant the good of all concerned.
That they should be hung up in the senate.
out OF difference to certain members of
that body, who were acting, not as repre-
sentatives OF the whole people, but in a
very narrow and restricted sense as the
representatives of selfish local interests.
presents phase of American politics
which other countries have much diff
Guilty in understanding.
May Follow Russia's ExamDIe.
Russia has begun a movement which
shrewd thinkers in this country are be-
ginning to fear. may become general Ger
many is talking loudly about higher
duties. So are France and Italy. Eng
Hsh newspapers have begun to discuss the
advlsablllty of imposing a tariff upon
American flour and meat. In practically
every foreign country with which the
United States is carrying on a large ev
port trade there is strong talk of retalia-
tion, because of the failure of the senate
to consider the reciprocity treaties pre-
Should this talk take concrete form IN
united action, what will become of the
much-talked-of Mckinley prosperitvf
American manufacturers are now nroduc-
ing many times more than enough goods
to supply the home markets. The sur-
plus is all sent abroad into countries
which, through the medium of recinrocitv
have been anxious to cultivate closer com
mercial relations with u.s. The failure
of the treaties has raised a storm of in
dlgnation in those countries Already one
Of them has aimed a blow in return
Others are likely to follow suit. and ther
American mills and factories and shons
viii begin to close their doors and an.
other period of hard times will be al
hand.
This is not altogether theory. # ie
rapidly threatening to become a serious
condition. The president sees it. So does
the secretary of state The consular re-
ports are almost daily discussing it. What
Is to be done? Well that is a big oues-
tion. There are several things which
might be done. First, the president might
urge reciprocity in his message to con
gress. This is what some of the high
protectionists are fearing he will do anC
already Senator Aldrich of Rhode Island
who represents perhaps the most mar.
rowly and blindly selfish and unfeelins
coterie of protectionists on the continent
nas been at the White House to advise
the president to be Conservative" ant
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