The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-19
HANsBRoUGH ON REc1pRocrrY

l..
Gradually the high protection forces are
lining up to defend the ark of their faith
the Dingley schedule-from the on
slaughts of the advocates of tariff revi-
sion. 10 the protectionist, the theory of
reciprocity appears more dangerous than
open tariff revision. It is dangerous be-
cause it is SO just and so simple. The
common people understand it. There was
a time when the Republican machine
adopted it to take the wind out of the
sails of the advocates of tariff revision
With rhetorical flourish that was mean
liigless out sounded well, the Republicans
declared that reciprocity was the hand
maid of protection" But when this
handmade asked for her own, they discov
cred that she was in league with the
monster free trade. Nay, more, that she
was sister and twin to him of the cloven
foot.
Today the Republican party is HOPELESS
ly divided on the reciprocity question ana
Will remain so until the matter is thresh--
ed out in the public forum.
Senator Hansbrough, of North Dakota.
IS the owner and publisher of paper
which he uses to inform the public of his
attitude toward public questions It re-
corded his conversion to free silver when
he thought his state was going for the
Whlte metal 1t also noted his return to
the told after he was assured by his man
ayers that free silver would not go in
North Dakota. This little paper known
as the DEVILS Lake Inter-Ocean. now
gives to the public the position of the
senator, or rather the lack of position of
the senator, on the question of tariff
revision. The editorial in question is
characteristic Of the rnan-very much
mixed, indecisive and lettering What
could be more beautifully contradictory
than the following:
THE fact should not be overlooked that
while there is very general demand for
a broad reciprocity policy on the part of
lL1s government, the most persistent ad-
XocateS OF 1t are the free traders of old
RECIPROCITY has ever been one of the
principles of the Republican party. be-
cause 1t IS the handmade of protection;
yet the Republican party will decline as
1t mas always declined to enter upon a
scheme Of tariff revision by indirect
methods. For the most part the so-caIled
. ffeclp3roclty' treaties which were nego-
tlated two years ago are no better than
the WilSon-Gorman act which brought
SO much distress to the producers of this
country. The combined importers of two
or three OF the great cities of the United
States have thus very shrewdiv planned
TO bring about a reduction of duties on
ire articles which they prefer to buy
abroad-articles not strictly in the Iist
of everyday necessaries such as We man
ufacture or grow in abundance at home
put more properly belonging to that class
oL IuXurIeS OF foreign manufacture or
growth demanded by persons of large
means"
The ideas of the honorable senator evil
GENTLY do not focus. Both spherical and
chromatic alteration attend his mental
Images. Had he deliberately attempted TO
befog the minds of his constituents he
could not have made a better attempt.
Only one thing is certain Senator Hans
brough thinks now that he is not in IA
vor of the reciprocity treaties negotiated
by John Kasson. The senator evidently
recognized the fact that North Dakota is
not lumber-producing state, also that
the western part is interested in wool
growing. Under no other theory can we
account for these philosophic observa-
tons:
It might be well to reduce the dutv
on lumber, putting it back to the McKin
ley rate or 81 per thousand but this
change should be made in a strictly con-
stitutiona1 way. It would be q very I'm
wise thing, however, to reduce the dntI,
on wool; but this would be one Of the i'm.
mediate results of the ratification Of tha
so-called reciprocity treaty with the Ar.
gentine republic. Do our friends in Min
nesota and Wisconsin, for instance want
free lumber again? The people of North
Dakota and Montana surely do not want
free wool again.
After discussing the powers Of the exec
utive and the senate to make reciprocity
treaties. and after assuring the public
that tariff revision will not affect the
trusts or tho millionaires and that the
tariff is not tax" the statesman from
Devils Lake winds his horn thusly:
Tariff revision should not be attempted
through reciprocity treaties. Reciprocity
Is not yet an exact economic science It
mas Demand win continue to be en-