Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1902-09-25
SHAW FOR RECIPROCITY.
Urges Better .ra6e Relations With
Nations of the World.

Urges Better .ra6e Relations With
Nations OF the World.
Chicago, ILL.,, Sept. 21.-Secretary
Shaw was the magnet which drew
thousands to the great republican
rally held in Mason park last night.
rhe secretary quoted from President
McKinley's last speech to show that
Mckinley was strongly in favor oI
reciprocity and he sad that speech
was intended as the beginning Of an
active effort to secure reciprocal
treaties. Other speakers at the meet.
ing were Congressman Foss, Boutell
and Mann. Secretary Shaw said AL
part:
II have been requested to discuss
reciprocity as outlined In the several
recer> national republican platforms.
This I am very glad to do for | most
heartily believe in that political doc.
trine. l do not consider a step TO-
ward free trade, but the natural hand.
maiden of protection. 1t is cardinal
principle with the republican party 10
protect the American laborer. The re-
publican party takes the ground that
II the product of his labor is protect.
ed he will be able to protect himself
with the proceeds. The opposition
party has always taken the other
view. 1t has legislated avowedly in
the interest of the consumer, and Oh
the theory that it matters little what
he sells his labor at provided he can
buy cheap. 1t has invited the unre-
strained importation of the products
of foreign labor and has levied there
on only such duties as were deemed
necessary for purposes of revenue. Ii
has again declared that the whole pro-
tective policy is unfavorable.
"We have established a vastly
higher standing of living in America
than in any oother country on earth
Comparing class with class, Ameri-
can artisans with foreign artisans,
American clerks with foreign clerks,
and American day laborers with for
eign day laborers, Americans are more
comfortably situated, and our people
live in better homes than do the peo-
pie of any other country. And the rea-
son lice in the fact that the American
toiler, in whatsoever field, receives
better compensation. and therefore
becomes a much larger consumer, and
being the largest consumer in the
world he affords his brother American
toiler the best market in the world.
For nearly a century we have
struggled for commercial independ-
ence. We have builded, advanced. i'm
proved during every period when we
have had a tariff for protection and
our industries have gone to pieces
every time and always when we have
had a tariff for revenue only. Under
protective policy we have built up
our manufacturing interests until now
our factories turn out more In value
than all the shops and all the factories
of any other two countries on the map
by more than three thousand million.
We now have a surplus of manufact.
ures as well as food products and the
all-important question confronting us
Is what shall we do with it? For the
more common articles Of manufact-
ure, like iron and steel and glass. and
the products of the loom and the
spindle, we need more markets. In
fact we must have them, for II the
ability of our people to consume
should be materially checked eth sr
by prolonged and acrimonious tariff
agitation or by failure of crops we will
be confronted with a surplus. and
labor will again seek employment il
vain.
IF l have made my premises clear
the conclusion is irresistible. am
not advocating opening our markets
to the unrestricted trade of foreign
countries. That must never be SO
much as thought Of. | am simply
making as strong an argument as
am able in favor of swapping trade
privileges.
Under the provisions of the Ding
ley bill certain treaties were prepared
and signed during McKinley's term.
They have not been ratified. Before
referring generally to the merits Of
one or two of these treaties want 70
call attention to the fact that the re.
publican platform had declared IN