Omaha daily bee., 1902-12-11
RECIPROCITY AND TARIFF
National Reciprocity Convention Holds
First Session in Detroit.
GOVERNOR cUMMINs PRINCIPAL SPEAKER
Iowa Executive Believes Greatest
Good TO the Greatest Number De-
mands Change In Many of
the Present Schedules.

TO bring about the reciprocal relations that
we want" said N. c. staver Of Chicago, as
he took charge Of the national reciprocity
convention in the Hotel Cadillac today
after It had been called TO order.
There we're present nearly 900 delegates
from the northern tier Of states and several
from Canada when F. D. Smith of Detroit,
president Of the Detroit Chamber of Com
merce called the convention to order He
said: ".' ''7'
give YOU warm words of welcome as
| president of the Detroit Chamber of Com
merce. Iiy an actual report tr9m the
! find, that there Is not a dissenting voice,
not a discoTdant note, but an absolutely
! unanimous and hearty interest In the SUB
! = Reciprocity means something; it appeals
/ to citizens Of ALI classes. but especially TO
| the business men and commercial organi-
| zations of our country, The merchants
| and manufacturers Of this city feel that
! we should have the privilege Of placing
! in the hands of our neighbors the goods
! we have to sell to as great an advantage
as possible, not having in mind to cripple
! their industry, but 70 promote, by fair
/ treaty an interchange of commodities
which will be a benefit to all.
Mayor w c. Maybury then welcomed the
| delegates to the city.
H. C. Staver OF Chicago, chairman of the
board of directors of the National Reel
procity league, was then introduced as the
presiding officer Of the different sessions.
1--WE are here,'' he said "for the purpose
of broadening the growing principle Of the
subject OF reciprocity. We want to put
forth an effort here that will be felt from
the Atlantic to the Pacific
| Judge Nathaniel French of Davenport Ia,
| said;g., - ts.. --.. ..
80 zone. of our main objects, as reciprocity
advocates, must be to.educate the people SO
L. fn
wealth and commerce, and another is to
bring ;out expressions of opinion. -
| ...'"Unless we bring out these expressions OF
opinion and bring them out in way. that
will make them known and felt, our desires
will be ignored until doomsday. I believe
that a majority Of congressman would
rather be right than be beaten, and the
minute they know what the people want we
will find all. of them trying TO be right"
! Eugene Hay of Minneapolis saidA II am
unable to see why there should be any tar
III between the United States and Canada"
| | Mr Hay urged that concerted effort to
bring about free trade relations with Can
ada. be made by all the border states.
The following committee on resolutions
was appointed - Judge Nathaniel French,
Davenport, Ia q. N. Foss, Boston; @. H..
Deere, Moline; III: Eugene Hay, .Minneap-
oils; Murite'N. Price. Buffalo. ''''' ''
Speech 7Of Governor Cummins.
~. the, Afternoon. session Governor A. B.
cummins spoke, on %;Reciproctty and the
| There. is a spirit ABROAD in some. quarters
Which Sondemnls en- rs reeiprSeai tFeaiy; WITT 3,
ever insignificant, may be inJuriously al
II this spirit is to continue. and to prevail,
reciprocity may as well be at once aban-
doned and the country left to choose be-
tween the unalterable :, schedules Of the
highest possible. protective. tariff and the
disastrous consequences or absolute free
trade. ....a 80 .sEgs,
until we are willing to- approach tariff
schedules in precisely the same spirit that
we approach any other subject of legisla-
So long as the controlling minds of con-
gress, insist that the welfare of the coun-
try demands that the tariff be let alone,
there is no hope for practical or substantial
There are many ardent advocates for
reciprocity who believe that tariff schedules
should be changed only through reciprocity
treaties. l am not one of them. 1t seems
to me that prerequisite to any material
or Important reciprocal tariff is willing
ness to adjust whenever fairly required
our exclusive tariff to the calls of the
| times.
reciprocity will never win its way until
we are willing to.treat the tariff nationally
| llSNedQ OF QySIeTlcdHy. ana Int nTSL SNeI
in the process is to be willing to make
, such changes as from time to time may be
necessary to bring tariff schedules into
} harmony with the principle which vindi-
Gates their existence. t-T r.'.-s'
Tarfh Changes Demanded.
I believe some changes are demanded nov
without respect to a modification of duties
levied by any other colntFy upon our ex
jrstment = "a FOR light or. ofyi triyiai reasons sons
Changes should not be made unless It |!
clear that dutieslhre too high or too low
Tariff schedules, like ALI other laws, are Il
be made, unmede and remape according L
} the public needs and we are not to. bt
warned off by the tfry that we are on. hol,
, ground and that, the sacred vestmeuts of tn,
priests are not to. be touched by profan'
There are. duties. notably in the iron an,
steel schedule, although not confined 10 IL
which are absolutely lndefensible, which
which are as much at war with the rea
object OF protection as free trade itself -
phey eS Be greSf TSdsee9 9 pnS 6cS,a sI
the whole American market, pay the high
: est American wages and be rewarded Will
an ample American profit, and, therefore
e they ought to be reduced, not years hence
There. are materials which our expert
: | ence has shown us should be admitte,
| free. simply because they would give ou
% people more work to do in preparing. then
% for their ultimate uses and IL should b
% done. not q year hepeev hut now, ,....-l
GENERAL Revision Not Necessary.
o II is said that in. order 10 change, an,
. schedule, or any part of any schedule, tn
% whole tariff must be taken up and revised
% the werk ofSyears discaEde6 and. new =iay
" substituted. j dehys the proposition. II Il
% the unworthy Shelter of two divisions Il
% the army Of opposition; first, thoseN VIII
| want ia pefpetuate OmethiHg which, the
: know would 4be condemned under innpar9a
investi CATION. and. second. the timid soul
who would rather not vote st'ail thanHY0t
e right or wrong. = ~
| A. for one, have stood too long and Ito
| often before the people OF my country, de
| Tending fflie principle of protection 10 Ad
nit that the schedules which carry II int
n execution are the results of a mserabl
!, and contempuble barter and exehang
u among the sfeqial representatives OF IN
IS dustrial interests. -thAf't
II Why should we not approach the con
. sideration of a change in the tariff sched
y ules in precisely the same spirit that con
trolls us as we approach all. other mOdihca
tions in existing statutes? Why should W
r not Danish forever this apparition OF i'm
z | aginary danger, peTpetually invoked
paralyze the mind of inquiry when Il turn
= | toward tariff duties? Our motto shoul
be: Care in everything, fear in nothing.
IL Is a slander upon the fundamentS
| truths OF the world TO Say that the pros
perity of the people ever has been, or eve
=, | can be, Impaired by doing. what is rigf
~ and Just and fair, What evidence is theT
y, | to sustain the assertion that a oorrectio
Oh of the grossly excessive duties would haste
~ Af.fn Al