The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-21
RUSSTA'S PROTEST..

1t does not mitigate the national or
international significance of the treasury
order concerning the importation of pc
troleum or Of the action of the Russian
authorities in retaliating against Amer
lean bicycles and resin, that, as is now
urged by the treasury officials, no duty
has thus far been collected on Russian
petroleum. Neither does it affect the
situation in the slightest to say that the
plain reading of the Dingley tariff law
necessitates the action taken.
The language of the Russian treaty as
quoted in the press dispatches justif4es
just the discrimination which the Rus
sian authorities announce their de-
termination to make against United
States products.
When the order was issued proper
thought should have been bestowed on
the terms of our commercial treaty with
Russia, and care should have been taken
to avoid any infringement of it's pro-
visions. If the Russian government
should, as the result of this and the
former discrimination, decide that the
existing treaty is abrogated in it's en-
ttrety, which Of the nations concerned
suffer by the decision? Not Russia, since
our imports from Russia are of little
moment compared with the vast posi-
bilities of the opening trade into the Ash
attic possessions of that country.
We have to take the consequences of
our discriminatory legislation against the
products of other countries. Our entire
tariff system is a system Of discrimina-
lions, but little affected by the proposed
reciprocity undertakings. At every step
we seek to take for the development Of
our foreign shipping trade we must ex-
pect to encounter the antagonism of 9TH
er nations whose products we have SO
seduluously shut out for nearly a half
century.
Our difficulty with Russia is mere
forerunner Of what we must encounter
In our dealings with other nations, as
long as we occupy the anomalous posi-
ton of seeking to control foreign markets
while keeping our own shut up against
foreign competition.
It is up to the imperialists. They can
not hope to have their cake and eat it.
They must drop from their programme
the pretense of asking participation in
the trade Of their neighbors unless they
give the same privilege to those neigh
boris They cannot hope to build a for
eign shipping industry If they have moth
ing to ship: and nothing or next to moth
ing will we have to ship if we remain in
the attitude of telling our neighbors over
our tariff wall virtually that they can
ship nothing to us.
Live and let live is a safe principle for
nations to go on, as 1t is for Individuals
If Russia thinks it has reason to regard
the United States as discriminating
against its products, the results will not
be long making themselves plain in other
directions in our relations with that
country. Today Russia stands, as she
has SIOCu LOT d nu1nDer OIL years, de-
cldedly the national friends of the United
States. If we expect to receive, as we
claim to have been receiving, from her,
especial privileges in the Orient, for our
manufactured products, we must forego
that privilege or else forego the enforce
Inent Of the letter of our protectionist
policy toward her.
Russia is protectionist country, and
so is this AS long as they remain such
there is no special hope of either doing
much trade with the other Such Sit
uation is evidently not unacceptable to
Russia, judging by her general internal
policy. 1t ought not to concern us any
more, unless we choose to continue In
our present foolish position of seeking
her and other nations trade while bar
ring our doors against theirs.