Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-03-05

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watt him into port, gravely announced
that he too believed in this reciprocity
of trade relations; in fact he inti-
mated pretty broadly that lie was the
original inventor of it. OF course he
knew that it was only another name
for free-trade, limited to certain peo-
pies with whom we were to agree
| upon the terms under which 1t should
| be exercised; and he knew too that
| 1t would be,--if permitted to be at
all, the entering wedge which would
finally split the protective system in
two. But rather than face Mr.. Blaine
in an argument he accepted it as a
part Of his doctrine, and embodied
provisions pretending to carry it into
execution into his bill, which in this
| form became law.
Under the Mckinley law nothing
practical was done looking towards
redeeming the party pledge to make
reciprocal trade with other nations a
reality. Mr.. Blaine was in failing
health at first, and later his death
kept him from pressing his argument
before the people, and the early repeal
of the act withdrew popular attention
from the subject
When the Dingley bill was under
consideration in Congress Mr. Blaincs
project was renewed, and with much
trumpcting as to what it was to do in
the way Of this form of frec.trade
masqueradng under the name of
reciprocity, provision was inserted
in this act also,-its author and its
sponsor President Mckinley appear
ing not to see the grotcsqucness of
yoking together two measures abso,
lutely destructive of each other In
principle. The only way of keeping
them so in practice also,--that Is, in
the long run,-was to dishonesty
cmasculate the one which undertook
| to widen instead OF restrict our trade
relations with other countries.
This was done.
Under the Dingley law a commits
sion was provided for to negotiate re.
clprocal trade treaties with foreign
nations, and incidentally a place was
made for II worn-out politician in the
deal. John A. Kasson was resur-
rected and appointed commissioners.
He was simple enough to think that
something really was to be done un,
der the reciprocity provisions of the
law, and he went to work. He has
since negotiated some Ii treaties with
as many countries, providing for the
carrying out of Mr.. Blaine's idea, as
adopted by Mr.. Mckinley These
treaties have not been hcralded in the
newspapers or by the politicians; in
fact they have kept very mum about
them. The state department. Just as
quietly transmitted them to the Sen
ate for its action, but no log-rolllng
was done by the Administration to pro,
mote their ratification. Mr.. Mckinley
could urge Congress to pass n measure
to rob the Porto Ricans, within six
weeks after he had told the same
Congress that their plain duty and
his was to do no such thing. But he
has had no word to say IN favor OF Il
thing on which he claimed that his
patent was prior to Mr.. Blnne's, and
no lobby or "interest" has infested
the Senate for that purpose, nor have
the newspapers invelghcd against this
| dlsrcspcctful treatment OF the nations
with which the treaties were made,
Congress has adjourned and not one
OF tho treaties has been ratified, and
whenever the question has been
brought mp they have been spoken OF
only in the most contcmptuous terms.
All OF them are as dead as julius
Caesar, They We're negotiated only
for the purpose of dccclying the pco-
pie into the belief that the Admins
tratIon really meant to give them
some little benefit of our foreign trade
relations. 1t never was meant that