The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-04-08
Senator Allison Denies He Has Ever
Suggested That Reciprocity
" Is Impracticable.
Treaties Are Hard to Get, but Power
Of President Should Be
Extended.
Iowa's Senior Senator and J. w.
Blythe Indorse the Attitude of
Governor Cummins.
Special to The Journal,


Dubuque. Iowa, April s.-senator ALI
son in an interview said he had not sug-
gested that the policy of reciprocity
should be abandoned as mpracticable, but
had stated in general way that reci-
procity by means of reciprocal treaties,
which required a two-thirds majority of
the senate for ratification and afterward
the approval OF congress, seemed from eX-
perience to be impractcable, and he had
cited as examples the difficulty In secur-
the ratification or eVenR the consideration
In the senate of the reciprocity treaties
made by President Mckinley under the
fourth section of the Dingley law Of 1897.
'These treaties said the senator, con-
tnuing his discussion of the Washington
interview, were opposed on the ground
that if agreed to the effect would be to
reduce the duty on many articles below
the standpoint of protection to our own
producers and thereby impair many of our
manufacturing industries and impair, If
not destroy, production in some lines Of
agriculture. Thus the treaty with France
was opposed on the ground that it provid-
ed for reducing duties upon manufactured
articles largely produced in our own coun-
try below the point of fair protection
1t was opposed also on the further ground
that France did not give us sufficient
compensation.
The Argentine Treaty.
The treaty with the Argentine republic
was opposed on similar grounds. The
wool growers of many Of the western
states contended that some Of these trea-
ties would greatly injure the fruit pro-
Cluctjon in California. Florida, and several
of the southern states. Hence these in
terests or those representing them were
hostile to the ratification Of these treaties.
Thus all these treaties failed in the com
nittee or in the senate by non action.
Tlo foI ,,ro oF ty~oo inS IA mi
indicative Of the difficulties in the way
Of securing favorable action by a two
thirds vote in the senate.
TN a limited way this power was given
to the president in the Mckinley law OF
1890 and again in the Dingley law of 1897
and worked very we'll. This power coult
be further extended and applied in any
future revision Of the tariff with advant
age to us and to the countries with which
such arrangements would be made
Reciprocity and Projection.
II regard the policy Of reciprocity by di
rect legislation Or by giving power in GER
tain specified cases to the president as
most valuable adjunct to the policy o
protection and as an important mean:
whereby we can extend our markets tt
foreign countries and whereby we cal
acquire new markets in countries witt
which we have now little or no trade
and 1t may be that the treaty maxim,
power can be SO used as to avoid the OBJ
jections found In the case Of the McKin
ley treaties and still afford all needed pro
lection to industries and labor, tho
AS have stated there seem to be seriou
difficulties in the way of this method.
''The policy of reciprocity which ha
so often received the sanction Of the re
publican party is not to be abandoned
There is q general public opinion favorin
this policy and it will in the future fin
expression In state or national republica
platforms substantially as in all stat
and national platforms since 1890 4 Be
fore such declarations it was a part Of tn
general tariff policy of the republica
party, as shown by treaties made by re
publican administrations before tina
time"