Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-02-27
TRADE BARGAINS.

TRADE BARGAINS.
In his inaugural address in speak.
ing Of reciprocity and the tariff, Gov.
ernor Cummins defines reciprocity as
trade bargains"
That Is a good term to use in that
connection, because in trade the ar.
ticles that are involved in the transac-
ton are always specified.
What is reciprocal trade bargain
between nations?
1t is this: It means that one coun-
try has some product or products
which she wishes to trade for some
other product or products, which the
country with which she seeks recipro-
cal arrangements, wishes to offer in
return. AS to what the articles are
must certainly be specified in the
agreement.
This, it seems to us, is the correct
definition of trade bargain be.
tween nations = one that would be
advantageous.
It would enable one country to sell
it's products to another and purchase
from the other what it needs IF the
products of the country with which
such trade relations are established.
This is the sort of reciprocity which
Blaine brought to the attention of the
American people. and which Mckinley
and other great republican leaders, in
Guiding President Roosevelt, heartily
endorse.
But in endeavoring to bring about
these mutual trade relations, it must
be remembered that it is always nee
essary to bring two minds together on
proposition, before they can reach
an agreement. 1t takes two to make
q bargain.
Just now in Iowa we hear much of
a proposition to try to establish Sc
ries of trade bargains with Canada.
Why Iowa, an agricultural state, should
want to let in competitive products
free, is. hard to understand.
1t must be borne in mind that in an
agreement with Canada, we are not 60
ing to get all the best of it. Canada
numbers among her Inhabitants proba-
bly, as large a share of smart men as
can be found in any contiguous terrific
sry. It is reasonable to suppose that
Is Canada has as able statesmen, as ex-
j.
shrewd business men as we have. To
obtain these trade relations, which it
is assumed will be of such a great
benefit to the people of the United
States, it will first be necessary to OBJ
and students and business men, to the
establishment of such relations.
If this Canadian reciprocity, as now
:n s,,to I~I PNn m, of,,
atty and not bluff" will it not be
well to ascertain what we are going to
get out of it.
Propositions of this sort have been
made before, but they were not re-
ceived very cordially. There has been
and still exists, a joint high commits
sion, consisting Of five men represent
ing the United States and an equal
number representing Canada. They
have sought for many years to reach
some conclusion upon which reciprocal
trade bargains between the two coun-
tries could be based, but so far they
have failed.
j. B. Charlton, a member of the Ca
madam parliament, in a speech before
that body, told why these negotiations
had failed. Mr.. Charltons remarks
will be of especial interest to the far
mers Of Iowa. He said:
No arrangement will be satisfacto-
ry to Canada, that does not give us re-
ciprocity of natural products without
granting any return or any concession
beyond what has already been granted
Free trade in natural products would
afford a natural adjustment. Nothing
short of this will do it, and this con-
cession of free trade in natural pro-
ducts must be granted by the United
States without a solitary concession
from Canada, further than those we
have already made.
Now Governor Cummins says 1t is
falsehood to say that he favors free
trade with Canada, and Mr.. Charlton
as emphatically says that reciprocity
between the two countries cannot be
arranged unless we agree to free trade
in our farm products.
Bearing in mind that it takes two to
make a bargain, and in me face of Mr..
sCharlton's words, does it appear that
Canadian reciprocity can mean any
thing else than absolute free trade
with Canada-at least in those pro-
ducts which our farmers raise?
Most certainly if Governor Cummins
is not in favor of free trade with Cana
da, then the delegates to the republi-
can convention of Winnebago county,
misunderstood his position. Last Sat
urday the convention held in that
county, endorsed the following resolu-
ton:
: We endorse Governor Cummins' at
titude on the tariff and on reciprocity,
particularly with Canada, believing, as
we do, that the best interests of the
people of the northwest, on both sides
of the line, are best served by a nearer
approach to the same trade conditions
which have brought prosperity to the
several states.
OF course, there is free trade be-
tween the states of this nation, and,
asking for Canada, ..the same trade
conditions which have brought pros
.perity to the several states" must
mean that this convention wants free
trade between Canada and the United
States.
HANNA,s LAST ADVICE.
While the many enconiums which
are being pronounced on the life and