Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-05-14
A VERY WEAK PRETENSE
Republican Desire For Reciproc-
ity Is Hollow Mockery.
NO REAL REDUCTION SOUGHT.


in Only on NOncOmpeting Mate
riaIs, Which Do Not Exist-'Let
Well Enough Alone" Is the Cry.
Reciprocity is doomed as far as the
Republican party is concerned, for the
leaders have determined to stand
pat" Senator Lodge, the head of Pres
ident Rooseyelt's Kitchen cabinet" is
as much opposed to reciprocity as Con-
gresham Littauer, he of glove scandal
fame, whom the president described as
his personal friend and close political
adviser. Senator DolIiyer, who not
long ago was defending the Iowa
idea," has just made a speech in the
senate renouncing his former heresy
and urging that the tariff does not
shelter the trusts, but rather hurts
them by helping their small competi-
tors. And so the list of those Republic
ans who firted with tariff reform and
courted reciprocity, including Presi-
dent Roosevelt, may nearly all be said
to have decided to do nothing, go home
and tell the people, I'VE must let well
enough alone" Ex-COngressman Foss
of Massachusetts says he is still fight
ing for reciprocity with Canada, and
Governor Cummins of Iowa may con-
tinue to declare he has not surren-
dered, but it is only with a faint heart
and q knowledge that reciprocity has
been put to sleep with trust medicine
in allopathic and not homeopathic
doses. If Mckinley were alive he
would be forced to recant his last
in Htyhi ho fo,-
procity, or be read out of the Repub-
hcan party by those who now control
1T.
But If the politicians have surren-
dered to the threats of the trust mag
mates and have abandoned their efforts
for reciprocity or the reform of those
schedules of the tariff law that give
the trusts their monopoly there are
more people demanding tariff legisla-
ton than ever before. Democrats are
united for a reasonable reform of the
tariff, and Republican business men, |
farmers and others all over the coun- |
try have organized reciprocity leagues, |
the object of which is to promote bust |
ness with other countries by mutually |
reforming the tariffs that now bar the |
way. To show how extensive this |
movement has become here is a list Of |
these organizations:
New England Reciprocity League
William Z. Brigham, secretary, S03 |
Board of Trade building, Boston, Mass. |
Minnesota Branch of National Reel |
procity League-Benjamin f. Boards |
ley, secretary, GAO Endicott building, |
st. Paul, MINI.
Lower Lakes Reciprocity League
Campbell Shaw. secretary, $50 Eli |
colt square, Buffalo.
Tri-City Reciprocity League-Nathan- |
iel French, secretary, Davenport, Ia.
National Reciprocity League-Adams |
Express building, Chicago.
1t is hardly probable that these |
leagues will be able to convert the Re
publican party to the kind of reciproci-
ty they demand, although they have |
thousands of members, for Congress
man Dalzell, who is the recognized
mouthpiece Of the protectionists, de-
clared in the house of representatives
that Republican reciprocity is reel
procity in noncompeting articles and
in nothing else" That means that the
protectionists refuse to lower the tar
IF barriers to any product of n for
eign country that is produced in the
United States.
Since the United States has included
in her territory tropical and semitrop-
zeal countries there is hardly prOduc-
ton of any foreign country that will
not compete with our products, SO that
reciprocity OF the Republican brand
under those circumstances is impOssi-
ble Or wonld be so infinitesimal that IL
would amount to nothing. The Repub-
licans at great expense made reciproci-
" treaties with several countries, but
the Republican leaders in the senate
refused to ratify them because some of
the articles included in those treaties
were products of the United States.
ANY declaration for reciprocity by
the coming Republican national con-
vention will be for reciprocity in non
competing articles and not for the reci-
procity that the reciprocity leagues are
striving for. Such declaration will
not lead TO any increased trade with
foreign countries because true reci-
procIty means that both sides must
give and take or there can be no trade.
The Republicans are so welded TO pro
lection that they fear real reciprocity
as an opening wedge TO break down
the protection walls The protected
interests-mostly the trusts-cOntrOl
the leaders and by furnishing them
money for Republican campaigns de-
mand in return full protection, and
with that real reciprocity would inter
fere.
Warx