Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-09-26

receive great dement, by extending his
markets abroad hardly needs demon
stratioE. His productive capacity bas
outgrown the home market. The very
term Home Market" has chanped u,
its significance. Once, from the mann
facturcrs' point of view. it meant ax
pansiOn: today the marvellous grown
of our manufacturing industries has
far exceeded the consumptive capacitv
Of our domestic markets, and the term
Home Market implies contraction
rather than expansion. If we wou1d
run our mills to their full canaci+r
thus giving steady employment to o,,r
Workmen and securing to them and 70
the manufacturer the profits accruino
from increased production. other
markets must be found. Furthermore
when our manufacturers are dependent
on raw materials in whole or part i'm
ported. it Is vital to the extension OF
their markets abroad that they secure
their materials on the most Favorable
terms.
Our rartyred President, William Me-
EinIey, appreciated this situation. He
pointed out III his last address to the
people that we must make sensible
trade arrangements if we shall extend
the outlets for our increasing surplus
He said, "a system which provides A
mutual exchange Of commodities is
manifestly essential to the continued
and henlthfuI growth Of our export
trade. . The period Of exclusive
ness is past. The expansion of our
trade and commerce is the pressing
problem. Commercial wars are I'M
rrofita bic. A policy Of good will and
friendly relations Will prevent
reprisals. Reciprocity treaties are IN
harmony with the spirit of the times;
measures of retaliation are not
This argument was made in the
interest of our manufacturers, whose
products, nc urged. have So
multiplied. that the problem of more
markets requires our urgent and i'm
mediate attention" He had come to
realize that the So-c;illcd stand pat
policy must give waY-that there must
be a reduction of duties to enable our
manufacturers to cultivate foreign
markets. The last words of this Presi-
dent-WhO had won the affection of his
:
every man who has any doubt of the
necessity Of Il reduction in tariff rates
in the interest of the manufa cturer
They present with claarness a situation
and a proposed remedy that prompted
the provision in our platform which
declares that. We favor liberal trade
arrangements with Canada and with
peoples of other countries where they
can be entered into with benefit to
American agriculture, manufactures
! mining or commerce"
The persistent refusal of tn ,
! Republican majority in the FEEDER Il
| Senate to ratify the reciprocity trea tie
negotiated in pursuance of the policy
advocated alike by Mr.. Blaine and Ny
Mckinley, and expressly sanctioned
i'll the fourth section of the
| Dingley act, is discoura ging
mentioned by me, the exorbitant duty
imposed on many an imported article
by the Dingley Tariff was avowedly
| intended by its author not to be per-
manent. but to serve temporarily as 4
| maximum. from which the Federal
Government was empowered to offer A
reduction, in return for an equivalent
+ concession on the part of a foreign
country. President Mckinley under
took honestly to carry out the purpose
OF this section of the act. A number of
! rt ciprocity agreements were negOtiat-
/ ed, within the prescribed limit of two
years which, if ratified. would
have had the two-fold result of
chefpening many imported prod
! uctS for American consumers, and
! or opening and charging foreign
! m"rk-ts to American producers. Not
one "f those agre meats has met with
| the approval Of the Republican masters
Of tn" Senate. Iniaed they did no.
even permit their consideration. In
| view Of the attitude of the present
! Executive. no new agreement under
the general treaty power need he
| expected from him. Nor does the Re-
public IN platform contain a favora bic
reference to one of the SUSPENDED
| treaties. This section of the Dingley
act stands forth a monument Of legis-
lative cozenage and political bad faith
In some quarters it has been as
sumed that in the discussion Of the
Philippine question in my response,
| the phrase "Self-Sovernment," was in
| tended to mean something less than
| independence. 1t was not intended
that it should be understood to mean.
nor do | think az used it does mean
| less than independence. However. to
! eliminate all possibility for conjecture,
/ | now state that | am in hearty ac-
cord with that plank in our platform
that fayors doing for the Filipinos
what we have already done for the
/ Cubans: and | favor making the prom
| ise to them now that we shall take
such action as soon as they are reason
ably prepared for it. If independence.
such as the Cubans enjoy, cannot be
prudently granted to the Filipinos at
| this time, the promise that it shall
| come the moment they ar" capable Of
receiving it will tend to stimulate rath-
! er than hinder their development. And
| this shOIld be done not only in justice
to the Filipinos, but to preserve our
own rights: for free people cannot
withhold freedom from another people
and themselves remain free. The
liberation Of tyranny over others will
soon breed contempt for freedom and
self-government. and weaken our
|