The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-01-09
PART TWO

1872, PRESIDENT Harrison reviewed
the favorable results attained by the
reciprocity treaties negotiated under
the tariff of 1890 as follows:
Under these trade arrangements a
free or favored admission has been
secured in every case for an important
list of American products. Especial
care has been taken to secure markets
for farm products in order to relieve
that great underlying industry of the
depression which the lack of an
adequate foreign market for our sur
plus often brings. An opening has
also been made for manufactured pro-
ducts that will undoubtedly, if this
policy is maintained, greatly augment
our export trade.
The abrogation of the reciprocity
treaties of 1891 and 1892, when the
Wilson tariff law was passed in 1894.
was one O. the most serious blunders
ever committed in American diplo-
macy. We not only sacrificed the
trade that had been built up by these
treaties, but we gave serious offense
TO the nations interested.
Quoting the Hopkins report report
of Committee on Ways and Means
concerning Reciprocity and CONNER
cial Treaties, 1896:
Such an offense as was committed
by the passage of the tariff act of
1894, if committed by any individual
or corporation, would be followed by
a suit for damages, but when com.
mitted by one nation against another.
the usual recourse is a declaration OF
war or commercial retaliation. The
government of Germany adopted the
latter part of the alternative,
and proceeded to inaugurate a
commercial warfare against the
United States which has de.
mOralized our commerce with that
country and been a serious blow to the
export trade.
Nor is it confined to the German
empire. Sympathetic retaliation has
followed from Austria, Belgium, Hol-
land and Denmark, until now our
agricultural products are practically
shut out of the markets of northern
Europe, and the result is felt by every
man VINO raises buShel of wheat OF
corn, or who sends hog or steer to
the stock yards.
Our commercial relations with Ger
many were perfectly satisfactory.
and profitable 10 the people of the
United States until the fittv-third
congress arbitrarily revoked the
reciprocity arrangement which ex.
changed our agricultural products fol
her beet-r0Ot sugar. This action was
taken in violation of the usages OF
international etiquette, and imposed
upon the largest and most important
article OF export from Germany a dis.
eliminating duty that benefited no.
body except the sugar trust, which al
/ that very hour the attorney genera
of the United States was prosecuting
in the courts OF Philadelphia as q
menace TO the welfare Of our people
Our reciprocity treaty with Austria
provided for the admission of oul
meats and other products on the most
favorable terms granted by her to any
nation, in return for placing her sugar
on our free list the same as the sugar
that we imported from other coun
tries with whom we had treaties un
der that law. The Austrian minister
at Washington filed protest similar
to that of the German government
against the countervailing duty or
sugar which was provided for in tn,
tariff of 1894, in which he particular
ly set forth that this countervailins
duty was in violation of a commercial
treaty between Austria and tn,
United States, which had beer
in force since 1912, and which
provided that goods imported
into the United States from
4 Austria Hungary should be subjected
to no discrimination in respect t,
duty.
The minister from Guatemala ais,
! protested repeatedly, and pointed GU
that large investments had been made
in plantations in his country by PEG
Pile who relied on the good faith of th
UnitedStates in respecting its treaties
Brazil, Nicaragua, Porto Rico an,
Santo Domingo also entered protest
and expressed their regrets at tn
termination of arrangements which
bad been highly satisfactory to them
, and as they supposed, profitable t
the United States. These smaller ma
tions, of course, could not be expecte
to follow the example of Germany i
, retaliating against our commerce, bu
it must be a matter of serious regre
to all Americans who have studio
this question that the United State
should show bad faith towards tn
countries to the south of us, whic
r are not big enough to resent ill-treal
ment.