Washington sentinel., 1901-03-16
ALL AGAINST US.
What Failure OF Reciprocity Means
for this Country.

signed by President Mckinley has
resulted in the resignation OF Plen-
ipotentiary Commissioner Kasson.
Tbs is the climax OF the high tar
iff policy, and a general CONNER
clal war upon the United States by
the leading nations OF the world
seems to be inevitable.
Not only has the Senate repudi-
ated the policy Of Mr.. Blaine; it
has also spurned the policy OF Mr..
Mckinley; it has cursed and re-
jected the declared policy OF the
Republican party.
The business men o the country
must now look to the Democratic
party for relief. And it IS time for
the Democracy Of the nation to
arouse Itself and enter upon this
great opportunity for national USE
iulness.
The one statesman like note in
the DingleY Tariff act was the pro-
vision under which the President
was authorized to soften the rigors
and adjust the workings of the tar
iff system bV treaty. In order to
secure commercial advantages and
keep the country in touch with the
varying conditions of international
commerce the President was en-
powered to grant reductions of not
more than twent" per cent. on all
articles in the general tariff list in
return for commercial concessions
to the United States. These ar
engagements were to be secured by
treaties, and were, consequently,
subject to the advice and consent
OF the Senate.
Two years from now our COM
mercial treaties with the great ma
tions OF the world will expire.
They must be renewed or revised.
AS they stand now the United
States is in powerful position Of |
advantage. 1t they are altered
they must be, Of necessity, altered
10 our injury.
Under the operation ei high tar.
q laws not only have the trusts
grown up and esashed out ali at
\ Spts at Competition in the
United States. but they have used
the enormous profits which their
monopoly OF the home markets has
enabled them to squeeze from the
American people 10 sell at lower
rates abroad, and thus invade and !
disrupt the markets OF other coun-
tries. 1t is notorious that many
articles manufactured in the
United States can be bought more
cheaply in Europe than at home.
The American people have been
helpless to resist the trusts. But
the manufacturers OF Europe are
not helpless. They have appealed
to their Governments to repel the
American invasion of their mar
kets by fearless .arih legislation.
Every European nation has given
evidence of its intention to act Wig
orously.
Seeing the danger ahead, Fresi-
dent Mckinley attempted to avert
it. He knew that with a hostile
combination OF European powers
bent on economic retaliation, the
new and amazing voluwe Of Amer.
ican exports-amounting in value
to hundreds of millions annually
would be turned back upon us,
our markets would be flooded with
our own surplus manufactures,
prices would fall, dividends on
enormously watered stocks cease
to be possible, and the whole over
grown and overcapitalized INDUS
trial system OF the country be
brought down in ruin.
The Presidents plan was to ne
gotiate five year reciprocity trea
tries with the leading commercial
nations, so that, two years hence,
when our general commercial urea
ties expire, the situation would be
so eased and the harshness OF our
tariff system so tempered-tempo-
rarilY at least-that we might ne
goCiate with Europe on favorable
terms.
Through Mr.. Kasson, the Pleni.
potentiarY Com missioner for Re-
ciprocity Tariffs, the President
negotiated eleven treaties, the
most important being the treaty
with France. He was also nego-
tiating with Russia when the Hat
refusal of the Senate to touch the
treaty with France compelled him
to abandon his parleys with the
Gear. Russia and France have
been the most steadlast friends this
country has had in Europe. 1t
vas reasonable to suppose that
with these two nations Withdrawn
from the threatened commercial
alliance against the United States,
the deadliest danger Of a tariff war
would be averted.