Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-05-21

L
| there will lie in the next one
/ In time every tariff must be revised
and changed. But while the reductions
are being made, whether by Henry
Clay or William l.. Wilson, the coun-
try will stand by and mark time un-
til the thing is over Perhaps it ought
not to do sts--bnt it always does.
No American industry is low
languishing. No American laborer is
unemployed. No American is working
at reduced wages. 1t is suggested that
Europe is highly prosperous also. and
that therefore, our own present INDUS
trial activity is by no means excep-
t'onal.. But they do not talk that way
in Europe. They complain bitterly
that America is not only holding her
nome market but is also reaching out
and taking and undue share Of the
trade OF the world. man who Is at
the head of an industrial procession
and is in favor of keeping his position
need not be worried by hearing some
one say that he is "unprogressive."
A tree should be judged by its fruit
and a tariff law by it's results.
Evils of Wilson Law.
Measured by this fairest of all tests
the worst tariff act ever placed upon
our statute books was the Wilson law.
and judged by the same just standard
no law mas ever brought such good re-
suits as the Dingley act. Let us en-
JOY and do justice to it's sunshine. and
not spend too much of our time with
smoked glass looking for spots on the
sun.
In 1892, at high tide of prosperity,
with the Mckinley law only two years
old, the American people resolved to
go through the throes of a general tar.
iff revision They wanted the mar.
kets OF the world" and especially free
trade with Canada. They wanted 10
meet the changed and prosperous
conditions of the times by adapting the
tarlH schedules to the needs of tba
honr. Enough republicans voted for
tariff reform" to put the experiment
IN operation, and it is only five wears
since We began to recover from the
most calamitous period in our history
1857 was repeated with greater ON.
phasis in 1898.
me republicans who went astray in
1892, as well as those who "stooc
pat, all bore the ills of 1893 to 1897 in
common, and the democrats suffered
win the rest. 1t is sometimes safe to
md out what our opponents want us
TO do and then-not do it.
Reciprocity has for many years been
cardinal principle of republican
falth. believe republicans uniyer.
sally faVor reciprocity, as heretofore
announced in our platform. but by this
tney do not mean giving much for lit.
tie, or something for nothing They
are IN FAVOR of reciprocity, but it must
be reciprocity which reciprocates.
An absolute and unqualified agreement
TO give the open trade of $4,000, 900
4 people in the United States, in ex-
change for like trade of only 100000
IN canada, involves a careful eXamina.
ton of all the details. and those gen,
tlemen who may be ready out of hand
! TO declare at once in favor of such a
, treaty, Will find that the cost must
: and viii be first counted. The sug,
gestion will meet with most favor
: from manufacturers who want to re-
: tain the western market for them
) selves. while buying the articles
: which they consume in the Canadian
: market; or of real estate spectators
{ who have invested in Canadian lands
J Free Trade Not Good Thing.
The Iowa farmer will want to know
something of the details of such a
treaty before getting unduly excited
in its favor
We must not make the mistake OF
OF assuming that any sort of free trade
with any sort of country, under the
name of reciprocity, is of necessity a
good thing. The Blaine and Mckinley
doctrine OF reciprocity involved the
idea OF contracts in which the United
States should have fair exchange of
: benefits.
we tried an experiment with Ha.
wall, and for fourteen years the re.
Dates on Hawaiian sugar during those
years, 1877 to 1890, amounted to SIS,
546,S53.56, during which time the en-.
TIRE purchases from us by these isl
ands amounted to only s97,S16.633
we paid in rebates for her entire pur.
chases from us except 79,779.44.
vi course such reciprocity was pop.
: uiar in the Sandwich Islands. ANY
country would be willing to buy goods
| Oh us II we would give them rebates
enough out OF the treasury to pay for
2 ninety per cent of their total pur.
chases. VI course Hawaiian reciproc.
3 l'y was an extreme case. but it serves
| as an excellent illustration of the diff.
. ncuities to be met in making treaties
, OF this character. And Canadian rec
! lproc!ty was tried from 1856 to 1866
i Our experience of reciprocity with
! Canada covered about eleven years
from 1855 to 1866, and as this period
included the time of the civil war with
all its arrangement of business. ii
gave us no fair test, but at the end
OF the period the results were such as
( 70 make the treaty unpopular, if not
5 undesirable, to the United States.
Canadian Treaty.
The duties which we RENTED tc
Canada the last year and nine months
of this treaty in 1865 and 1866 amount
ed to $70,152,16 and during the same
period the balance of trade was
against us in our dealings with Cana
ola in the sum, of S2S,134. 749.
The disadvantages of that treaty tt
y the United States NAV ho rooSil,, an