The San Francisco call., 1901-11-13
THE RECIPROCITY CONVENTION.
y next Tuesday there is to assemble at Wash
ington City gathering to be known as

~ next tuesday there is to assemble at WASH
I ington City gathering to be known
- The National Reciprocity Convention 1t
IS not to be representative OF the people whole
of all the great interests of the people,
the membership being confined to those actively
engaged as principals O. executive officers in manu-
featuring firms or corporations" That means of
course, that the object of the convention is to get
together number OF manufacturers who can be
united in favor of programme OF reciprocity and
then make OF the organization in promoting re-
ciprocty treaties
While it is the belief that the convention will de-
clare in favor of system of reciprocity treaties that
will open foreign markets for our manufactured
goods, matter at what cost to other industries
it is by certain it will do Upon the
vexed question of reciprocity the manufacturers are
themselves divided. Mr. Carnegie, for example, has
recently pointed out that reciprocity would be diff
cult to devise and more difficult to maintain Never
theless, the annual meeting of the National Asso
citation of Manufacturers there disclosed strong
sentiment in favor OF reciprocity and accordingly
those who believe the convention will support pol
icy OF that kind not without good reasons for
their opinion.
1t is to be remembered that Republican reciprocity
defined in the platform adopted by the National
Convention at Philadelphia in these words: 1--WE
to open markets on favorable terms for what
do not ourselves produce, in return for free for
eign markets." If the manufacturers ask for that
kind of reciprocity there will be no objection the
part of any stanch Republican protectionst. IT.
however, they ask for a reciprocity that would eX
pose wool, fruit and sugar other industries to
ruinous competition in order that they may obtain
freer markets for manufactured goods in Argentine
France and Germany, then there will be objection
The object OF calling the convention to meet at
this particular time at Washington City undoubt
edly that OF enabling it to influence upon Con-
gress in favor of the pending reciprocity treaties
Those treaties have long ago been weighed by the
people and condemned by the voice of those who
best fitted to pronounce judgment upon fiscal mat
ters Senator Adrch has emphatcally declared
against them and Senator Hoar some months ago
expressed dislike of any kind of reciprocity the
ground that it would take tariff regulations out
of the hands of Congress and place them in the
hands of the State Department If undertake any
extensive system of reciprocity treaties, then
surrender control of tariff and leave it to be
matter of barter with the diplomats of foreign
tons.
With such valid objections against them the rec-
procty treaties already submitted to the Senate
virtually dead Indeed, some of them really dead
because OF the lapse OF the time allowed for the rat
hcation The defeat of the existing treaties, how
ever, would not prevent the negotiation of ones,
and consequently the forthcoming convention of SO
powerful body as that of the Manufacturers of the
country to consider the policy of reciprocity becomes
event Of the first egnitude The proceedings will
be watched with interest by the country at large,
and by more keenly than by those who would
like to break down the whole protective system and
who quite ready to make of reciprocity a
means of doing it.