BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-09-15

never of the consumer. It assumes
that the seller is the only one benefited
by an exchange of products. 1t does
not propose to lower our tariff wall by
a fraction of an inch. It proposes to
punch vent holes in the wall to save it
from destruction 1t will PERMIT certain
quantities of certain articles to pass
through these holes, but never enough
to let in all of any product. To do this
would benefit consumers and spoil the
game of the protectionists. The theory
of free trade is that both seller and
buyer are benefited by an exchange of
commodities and that as all are consu-
mers, the greatest good to the greatest
number requires that there should be
no barriers to trade in order that goods
may be as cheap as possible and the
cost of living be reduced to minimum.
Free trade would open our markets to
benefit our own country. 1t is hospitable,
and seeks place and good will with all
nations. Reciprocity cares nothing for
the consumer and hunts foreign markets
with club. Its stock in trade is high
tariff, favoritism discrimination, aud
relation 1t threatens to slam the door
in the face of foreign countries which
will not open their doors to our products.
Reciprocity is based upon the same
false theory as is protection, and like
protection is sham .and humbug,
and to most people has been, and will
ever continue to be, delusion and
snare"
Reciprocity is not only denounced in
general by the Democratic handbook,
but Cuban reciprocity is denounced in
particular, even though the Democratic
caucus in June condemned the Repub-
licans for their failure to pass the bill,
and pointed with pride to the fact that
the Democratic t1inority has given its
full support to the measure. In the
campaign book the committee says:
"As Cuba is comparatively prosperous
and wages are about double what they
were few years ago, there is no
excuse for making donations to Cuba,
even if the ordinary people could get
them" Again it says: "Reciprocity
as proposed with Cuba is of the Ea-
waiian kind and would benefit the
owners OF Cuban lands and the sugar
ard tobacco trusts, which are the prin-
cipal purchasers of Cuba's most important
products"
Trusts are not discussed separate
from the tariff question in the committee
handbook. 1t combines the two ques-
tions, holding the tariff as responsible
for the trusts, and suggests only one
Democratic remedy, which is free trade.
The committee denounces the Repub-
licans for their failure to enact trust
legislation, and they also condemn
every proposed measure for the restrain
ing of trusts other than that of free
trade. If the Democratic orators who
take the stump this fall to urge the
election of Democrats to congress follow
the advice of Chairman Griggs in the
Democratic campaign book they will all
shout for free trade as the one great
issue before the people and the one
great economic principle Of the Dem
ocratic party
In this campaign book the Democra-
tic committee. goes father than the
Democratic party in 1872, when it
demanded that all custom house taxa
ton should be only for revenue, or that
Of 1892, when it denounced Republican
protection as fraud and insisted that
the collection of customs revenue should
be limited to the necessities Of the
government when economically admin
istered. In each of these platforms
there was saving qualification in favor
of some kind of customs taxation, but
Chairman Griggs in this new Democra-
tic bible declares openly and boldly for
free trade as the great doctrine of the
Democratic party.