Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1902-07-17
Gong Beyond Reciprocity.

L
United States, states facts In concrete
form. 1t will also be remembered
that President Roosevelt has never
endorsed the present Cuban reciproc.
ity measure and is no more in favor
Of abandoning the protective prin.
ciple than the beet sugar senators.
The article follows:
Senator Burton, Of Kansas, made an
extended speech this week at Topeka
before . large assemblsge, in which
he set forth the arguments that in
duced large number Of Republican
senators to oppose the Cuban conces'
sions bill as reported by the senate
committee. The main point 10 that
the concessions proposed 60 beyond
all former conceptions or definitions
Of reciprocity and assail the protec.
tive principle itself. So clearly was
this fact established In debate that
Mr.. Burton asserts: "There are not
fifteen Republican senator's out OF the
ffty.iour who are in favor Of the pres
ent bill at heart" The longer the
bill was discussed in the senate the
weaker 1t became, and the chief rea.
son is the assault on protection coilsd
up In the measure. That bill breaks
down all former limitations Of what is
called reciprocity. Reciprocity as
advocated originally by MIR. Blaine,
as Senator Burton points out, was the
admission into the American market,
without duty, Of the articles which
we do not or can not produce, on con-
dition that the countries with which
the arrangement is made should grant
an equivalent reduction for our prod
ucts. From this attitude on recip.
rocity, strictly guarded as to our own
productions, the Republican party
has never varied. The last Republi.
can national platform refers only to a
reciprocity $50 directed as to open
our markets on favorable terms for
what we do not ourselves produce in
return for free foreign markets."
The same limitation, most lucidly
expressed, appears in President Nc
Kinley's last speech, that he made at
Buffalo the day before be was struck
down at the post Of duty. "Recip.
rocity," said President Mckinley in
bis address Of September 5 last, "is
the natural outgrowth Of our wonder
full industrial development under the
domestic policy now firmly estab-
lished." The policy referred to is, Of
course, protection. President Nc.
Kinley said in the same speech: "By
sensible trade arrangements which
will not interrupt home production
we shall extend the outlets for our
increasing surplus. We should take
from our customers such Of their
products as we can use without harm
to our own industries and labor.
The reciprocity which Blaine, Nc.
Kinley and the Republican national
platform favored is explicitly in
trenched in behalf OF protection. 1t
was not intended to apply to any
product Of our own. But what is
found in the Cuban concession billp
1t is removal OF all duties on Cuban
imports regardless OF whether we
produce the same articles or not.
about twenty articles were to be ad'
mitted at a reduction, some OF which
we produce ourselves To call this
wholesale reduction anything resem.
bling what the Republican party or
leaders have hitherto favored under
the name Of reciprocity is ridiculous.
Free traders saw the vital distinc.
ton and eagerly jumped forward to
get in their entering wedge. All sin
cere Republicans did not see it, but
enough we're sufficiently cautious to
save the party from making breach
in "the firmly established policy"
Senator Burton in his Topeka speech
brought forward several Republican
documents to show how the encourage
ment Of the beet sugar industry was
pushed in the campaign Of 1900 and in
the debate preceding the passage Of
the Dingley law. The Republican ma.
tional committee itself said In that
campaign;
mo subject interests the farmers
Of the United States more than the
fact Of their being able to raise the
I41NA mn Ann II