Evening star., 1901-11-16

wears of such goods. wares and merchan-
disc now included in said free list as may
be designated therein: and when any such
treaty shall have been duly ratified by the
Senate and approved by Congress. and pio-
lie proclamation made accordingly, then
and thereafter The duties Whlch shail DC
collected by the United States upon any of
the designated goods wares and meTchan-
disc from the foreign country with which
such treaty has been made shall, during me
period provided for be the duties spec1hed
and provided for in such treaty, and none
other
Mr. Kasson's Exposition.
Perhaps the best reciprocity expert in the
country is Mr.. John A. Kasson, formerly
special reciprocity commissioner OF the
State Department, and the negotiator for
this government OF the treaties now pend
ing in the Senate Since the agitation De
came general on the subject OF RECIPROCITY
Mr.. kasson has been overwhelmed with
communications requesting special ana
general information on the subject TO
meet this demand and also to comply with
an urgent invitation from the limos Mai
ufaCturing Association, he recently oe-
lfyered an address before that association
in Chicago in which he treated the Whole
subject in exhaustive and comprehen-
sive manner. This address has been put IN
print and is eagerly being sought after by
the delegates to the coming convention
In this address Mr.. kasSOn urges the poll
cy of reciprocal relations in our intercourse
with other countries over the alternative
policy of competition and aggression. Re
ciproCity is defined by him as IAN exchange
of some right or privilege or favor which
one party controls and will exchange for
some right or privilege or favor which the
other controls. and is willing to grant In
compensation.
He next considers the subject his
torically and points out the effect of
the exclusive policy pursued by Euro
pean nations Spain and Portugal were
the most notable early examples of
this anti-reciproCal selfish and exclusive
commercial policy This example was fol-
lowed by both France and England, and
when the United States was launched as
nation these were the commercial condi-
tiOnS which she then faced
The question of commercial development
was one which confronted Congress during
the first administration of Washington, and
the first legislative act in this connection
was the adoption of a resolution by the
House of Representatives asking the Sec
retary of State to report to Congress on
''the nature and extent of the privileges
and restrictions of the commercial inter-
courses of the United States with foreign
nations. and the measures which he should
think proper to be adopted for the improve
ment of the commerce and navigation Of
the same.
To this request Mr.. jefferson devoted two
years of inquiry and then submitted a re-
port in which he said: LAS TO commerce,
two methods occur: First, by friendly ar
rangements with the several nations win
whom these restrictions exist; or, seCodo
by the separate act of our own legisia ture
for countervailng their effects There can
be To doubt but that, of these two. frie,,dly
arrangement is the most eligible
After commenting on the soundness of
MI Jeferson's position that reciprocal re-
ldtiuES We're the best Mr.. kaSSon called
attention TO the trade relations between the
United States and Canada as an example
of the application of the exclusive policy.
The reciprocity treaty between this gov
eminent and Canada entered into in 1854
was abrOgated by the United States during
the civil war. and since that time our mar
kets have been in effect denied to Canada
with the result that have forced her
commercial development and expansion un-
til now she is our keenest rival CONNER
cialiy.
In discussing the status of reciprocity
treaties under the stitution Mr.. Kas-
son takes the ground that there is ample
authority in the Constitution for reciprocity
treaties reducing rates of duties on imports,
which ratified by two-thirds of the
men bers of the Senate, without any affirm
ative legislation by Congress. Congress
sionai laws, he says. cannot operate outside
the jurisdiction OF the United States, while
the Constitution states 'and all treaties
made. or which shall be made. under the
authority of the United States. shall be the
supreme law of the land 1t follows, he
declares. that wherever the relations of
Two independent nations are to be adjusted,
binding both jurisdictions this result can
be accomplished only by treaty. Mr.. Kas-
son declares further that nearly every COM
1Nettiii convention from the Establishment
of our Constitution to this day has con-
ta-red some clause regulating international
trade and establishing some restraint or
rule touching the duties and imposts which
either nation might otherwise imposc upon
imports from the other. All of these have
been in truth reciprocity treaties and went
into effect upon exchange of Publications
without awaiting further congressional leg
isiati
H says in conclusion on this point:
Our history shows that the power
TO regulate commerce with each for
eigr country, including a regulation of
duties 10 be imposed on exports of such
country, is TO be considered a concurrent
right. existing alike in Congress and in the
treaty-making authority, which includes
only one branch of Congress, but requires
the approval of two-thirds of that branch,
which is not required in the making of con-
greSsional laws To support this view he
quotes Justice Story on the Constitution:
THE power to make treaties is by the Con-
stitutiOn general. and Of course it embraces
all sorts of treaties, for peace or war. for
commerce territory and for any other
purpose which the policy or interests of in
dependent sovereigns may dictate in their
Intercourse with each other
Justice Cooley is also quoted to the same
effect. Mr.. Kasson says. We must there
fore conclude that reciprocal commercial
conventions. duly ratified. may make con-
cessions of duties. as we'll of other COM
mercial favOrs and privileges. and that they
will remain in force until repealed by Con-
gress.
Within Line of Protection
Mr.. kassOn proceeds TO analyze in detail
the pending treaties and gives tables show
ing the concessions made and benefits re-
ceived under them. Continuing he SAYS:
THE treaties unquestionably within
the lines of protection. But protection
lists are divided into two classes the rea-
sonable and the unreasonable. The former
recognize the plain fact that protection
abroad for our exports has become equally
important with protection at home and in
many cases has become more important
II has become more important in all the
cases where We can send the goods abroad
pay the duties there in competition with
the world. and realize fair profit
The unreasonable confuse protection
with prohibition, and really want monop-
Oily They will recognize no new conditions
no advance in the cheapness and quality of
our production, as shown by our conpa-
tttion with the world: and will not admit
that under present conditions a duty of 33
per cent Is in numerous instances TODAY as
effective as a duty of so per cent or co Der
cent was few years ago With them The
duty fixed by the Dingley act is a sort of
Fetch: while they utterly ignore the fact
he