The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-11
IT IS HARD TO MOVE
Much Sentiment Against Tariff Re
vision Or Reciprocity at
Present.
Ex-Speaker Reeds Views The Max
imum and Minimum Tariff
Idea.

From The Journal Bureau, Room Is, Post Build.
ing, Washington.
\; Washington, Dec, 1.-THE sudden death
of Former Speaker r. B. Reed is believed
to have done much to crystalline senti-
ment against tariff revision and reciproci-
ty. The last public utterance of Mr.. Reed
was delivered through the December mum
Der of the North American Review. tt
was anti-rivision and anti-reciprocity, and
written in Mr.. Reeds strongest and most
persuasive, VEIN Before his death it had
een4extensively reproduced in daily news
papers and had had a marked influence
on public thought. Already the members
of both houses of congress who oppose
revision and reciprocity are quoting from
that article, and these quotations fall on
ears that are much reader to listen than,
had the ex-speaker lived. The article is
regarded here as the. strongest statement
Of the opposition side of the case that has
yet been made =
A good many thoughtfuls men in WASH
ington are beginning to wonder whether.
it will ever be possible for the republican
party to revise the Dingley tariff and
make reciprocity treaties. In the last
campaign much was said in the public
prints and on the stump by, republicans
who appealed to the voters to retain that
party in power, to the end that the tariff
might be: revised by it's friends and not
+ by. it's enemies. That was-a fetching
tariff refuse to revise 80. d.. --.-...
! A day or two, ago one of the Influential
republican members of congress from the
northwest was talking about the tariff
and reciprocity as applied to the several
FSouth American, countries: These coun-
tries trade very heavily with Europe, but
| their trade with the United States is
comparatively insignificant, with no imme-
diate prospects of an increase. When
the time comes to revise the tariff, said
this gentleman, II shall favor levying a
duty on coffee, the principal product OF
several of these South American coun-
| triess 1T will be: an innovation, and will
call for courage on the part Of both houses
of congress- but to- my mind it will do
more to stimulate our trade with the
countries on our south than anything else
that can be DONE. AS long as we admit
Brazilian coffee free, we have nothing to
| offer Brazil in return for better, trading
advantages. The result is that she holds
aloof from US, pocketing $80,0O0,0 900 of
American money annually, and expending
in this country in return only about $lO-
100000 annually. I am: in favor of levy
| ing a duty. on coffee, with a proviso that
/ the president be authorized to suspend
that duty in return for trade concessions
| from Brazil ,.4r..
! The foregoing remarks bring up the idea
of a maximum and minimum tariff rate,
which is favored by so many public men,
outside OF: congress, and is SO strongly ad-
Ivoeated in portions of the northwest! IT
may be said: that at present congress is
probably rs strongly opposed to that plan
as it is to tariff revision and reciprocity
The opposition originates with the leading
manufacturers Of New England and other
sections of the east, who say that it woulc
be a constant menace to the stability Of
American business to have the president
in position at any time, after a certain
number of days notice, to amend the tar
iffs schedules, either by raising. or lower
ing them. Il ~ There is some Justice in the
position Of, the manufacturers, but If there
were not, their views Would undoubtedly
be adhered to by the republican member:
of both houses Of congresssfrom the man
ufacturing states, and ;defeat any ma xi
mum, and minimum scheme which Nigh
be brought forward. = =. *1'4 = g..
1t sometimes appears quite easy to set
tie these great Questions on the stunt
and in. the public press, but settlement b!
congress is quite another matter. -. :
"a >z@"@.-W. W.. Jernane.