The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-09-14
NO DISCRIMINATING DUTIES

NO DISCRIMINATING DUTIES
In his address before the Chamber of
Commerce yesterday Hon. T. c. Ste
vens discussed the methods recently
proposed for aiding the upbuilding Of
our merchant marine, with especial ref
erence to the project most favored in
the East, that OF levyfng discriminate
ing duties on imports carried in vessels
owned by nations other than the Unit
ed States. He deserves praise for hav-
ing pointed out so clearly the menace
to the prosperity of the>whole country,
and more particularly to the producers
gestion. 1t ought to be met with such
an outcry of protest from our people
that 1t would never be heard of again.
To levy such duties 1t would. in the
first place, be necessary to. abrogate
some thirty commercial treaties. If we
are going into the business on that
scale, we might better abrogate those
that prevent us from paying a. direct
bounty on goods the actual product of
the United States, carried to foreign
markets in American bottoms. That is
the most helpful method of restoring
our merchant marine yet suggested
The East declared it impracticable be-
cause it would require the abrogation
OF most of our commercial treaties
Yet the East is inclined t.. recommend
the abrogation of those treaties in
favor of discriminating duties; meas
ure that could not possibly accrue to
our advantage, but must react most in
juriously upon our producers and our
trade
Commercial war by discriminating
duties is a game that two can play at.
1t has been tried out SO often that there
is nothing conjectural about it, The
United States can little afford to en-
gage in it. Discrimination is answered
by retaliation. Discriminating duties
against foreign shipping would hit
Great Britain first and hardest of ALL
Great Britain has but to reply with a
duty on our products and provision
favoring those of Canada, to hit our ex-
port trade fearful blow. And the
farmer would pay the piper For every
dollars worth of benefit to shipping,
ing business, and no man interested in
the prosperity of our people can ia
yor it.
Concerning the proposal of Mr.. Ste
vens that the indirect trade of the
countries with which we have COM
mercial treaties, Great Britain again
being the principal, can be made sub
ject to discriminating duties, we need
say only at this time that his sugges-
ton that we can use this as, de-
fensive measure if the need ever arises
seems to be a good one. Only this
should not be interpreted anywhere as
an approval of offensive action If we
are attacked, probably duties on trade
indirectly carried would be an avail
able and an effective weapon. But it is
not for US to be assailants unless we
are ready for war in which the con-
ditiens of commerce. are such that we
would infallibly be Worsted. The view
| of the subject presented by Mr.. Stevens
is intelligent, dispassionate and wide
| in it's scope. We trust that, in the at
tempt which will undoubtedly be made
at Washington this winter to give a
bonus in some shape to the shipping
interest, the interest," of the farmer will
be looked after and protected; and Mr..
Stevens should be seconded in his OPP
position to discriminating duties and in
his advocacy of a negative position
| merely by all friends of the people.