The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1901-07-12
GREATNEED OF STUDY
IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND
RECIPROCITY CUES TON.
Shall We Increase Prosperity by Dimin-
ishing the Employ ment of Domestic
Labor Through Larger Purchases OF
Foreign Made Good.

| According to recent interview in
| the Boston Transcript Senator Cul-
lom OF Illinois is among the fresh
devotees of the policy of tinkering the
tariff schedules by means of special
| trade treaties. He is quoted as being
firmly convinced that our foreign mar
kets are threatened and that there is
danger of an alliance of European
countries to resist the inroads Of Amer
lean trade through the imposition oil
retaliatory duties upon American eX-
ports. Thus we see one more timid
soul frightened into fits by the bugbear
which certain interests are so indus
triously exploiting for the purpose OF
extending their own export trade ut
the expense of anybody and everybody
except themselves. Senator Culiom
easily drops into free trade dialec.
when he says:
IF we build wall around our mar
kets the Europeans say we can hardly
complain If they follow our example.
And that is the situation. 1t is SIM
pie business proposition that as bust
ness men, or as a business nation. we
should be on the alert. IN danger OF
losing our markets, we must see what
can be done"
Frequent mention of that Chinese
wall" by the enemies of protection has
made it very familiar figure OF
speech. 1t has also become very alb
surd figure of speech in view OF the
fact that we are sending out more eX-
ports than any other nation on earth
and are taking in of competitive i'm
ports all that we ought to take, and
more. too. 1t is your Jealous new
convert who can be relied upon to
swallow a doctrine without qualm.
The old stagers don't have so much
to say about the Chinese wall as
they used to.
So far as the senior senator from
Illinois has gone in his study of the
problem of increasing domestic pros
perity by decreasing the employment
of domestic labor he is Of the opinion
that
Probably much OF the difficulty can
be met by reciprocity. 1t is case of
give and take. We get lower duties on
certain of our goods going to other
countries, and they are permitted, in
return. to send certain goods here
without paying such high tariff.
While this has been our avowed pol
icy. we have not lived up to it con-
sistently Our State Department has
negotiated II number of treaties p:o-
viding for reciprocal reductions, and
then the senate has proceeded to ig-
more them. To foreign nations this
looks like bad faith. In my opinion it
behooves the Senate to take up these
treaties and give them serious consid-
Grafton. They should he viewed and
voted upon from the standpoint Of the
whole country's welfare, and not M
ply from supposed local self-interest.
| have been giving the subject some
special study this spring and will do
my part to press it on the attention Of
Congress next winter
Senator Cullom should persevere in
his special study of the subject. Spe-
cial study is precisely what is needed.
Close application for the next six
months may enable him to arrive at
a sound conclusion regarding the very
important question. What industries
shall we sacrifice through diminished
protection in order that some OF the
Illinois senator's influential const tu-
ents may increase their exports OF
machinery and agricultural imp'e-
ments? This question viii have to be
answered when the reciprocity treaties
come up again next winter, and Sen
ator Cullom will need all the special
study he can spare to the subject II
he shall be prepared with wise and
an intelligent solution.