The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1901-09-14
REcIPRocITYA PRENsLNG LsSuE.

maze AT the next session oil congress 70
reverse the action OF the senate Of To,
last congress on reciprosity treaties
Particularly will the French treaty com,
up for new consideration. and il can bt
said on high authority that President
McKinley's message in December will be
more pronounced than any utterauce
that has yet come from him, ID favor d
the modification Of our tariff by means
OF special treaties. Next to the ques.
tion that our detached possessions have
pressed upon the president and hi- I'd.
visofs nothing has had more earnest
consideration from the administration
in the past few months than American
trade interests abroad, aud the best
methods Of extending them.
The president has been charged with
Inconsistency, and with shifting from
the pronounced Protection position
which is chiefly responsible ior 3D.,
political advancement, to a position
which puts him IN measure IN accord
with those whose tariff policy be has
always opposed. The answer seems to
be in effect that new conditions in trade
teach new duties and suggest new
methods, and that the protective policy
itself may well be modified in the lace OF
new developments, just as the schedules
are subject TO revision from time to
time as industrial and economic changes
warrant.
We have not shared the belief OF many
that our protective tariff is responsible
for the agitation ID Europe 81 an anti.
American trade combination. Great
Britain and the Continental powers
know that in the case Of many oI our
leading products the tariff is not the
thing that now prevents their entrance
TO the markets Of the United States II
we .were told that there was strong
foreign hostility to our protective tariff
because it had built up vigorous indus
tries that under strenuous competition
at home had learned to turn out excep-
tionally good products at steadily
lowering costs, we might appreciate the
logic OF the position. We are persuaded,
however, that the European agitation
against the extension OF our export
trade is not due TO what has been
achieved in the upbulding Of our indus
tries by the help OF our tariff but 10 the
fact that our manufacturers have
essayed to enter Europe and to become
competitors in other markets 10 which
European manufacturers had not been
seriously disturbed by American com.
petition until very recent years.
There is little sentiment in trade be-
tween nations. The Tact that her ports
are open TO our products, while we i'm.
pose tariff on practically all that
comes from her shops and factories has
not prevented Great Britain from buy
ing in this market and steadily increas-
ing her bills for American commodities.
Hon. o. T.. Austin, chiei OF the Treasury
Bureau OF Statistics, practically illus.
trates the point in a recent article in
which he refers to the protests against
the Dngley bill sent 10 congress by
thirteen nations when the bill was under
consideration in 1897. These protests
were UNDECIDED. Yet he points out that
these thirteen OF the strongest nations
oi the world, the capitals OF the most OF
them within days ride OF each other,
not only did not enter into trade com.
bination against the United states, but
every one Of them has enormously in
creased It's imports from the United
States since,1s97
II is agreed that European nations
must look TO the United States Tor
considerable share Of her supplies OF i'm.
portant commodities. AS the largest
producer OF illuminating oil, OF cotton
and OF breadstuifs, the United States
cannot be.lignored, and European con.
sumers would not tolerate duties that
would advance the prices OF these COM
modities. Germany is just now bearing
the protestsloi her farming and indus.
trial classes. against the proposed in
crease in tariffs on many important i'm.
ports.