Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-07-28
BIT OF RECIPROCITY HISTORY.

Bill Of HENtFnONiI ITO S'''
The New York Commercial is OF the
opinion that it cannot be denied that
there is measurablY strong senu-
ment among Massachusetts Republl-
cans favoring liberal trade-reciproc-
ity arrangement with the Dominion or
Canada. But in some New England
states such sentiment is weak or not
in evidence at all. And the Maine Re-
publicans less than a month ago put
into their platform something very
like .denouncing' plank on the sub
ject. AS illustrating a somewhat gen.
eral sentiment among business men
in various Massachusetts cities some
recent declarations of Honorable l4u-
cius A. Cook of Weymouth may be
quoted, with the explanation he is
candidate for the Republican nomina-
ton for congressman from the twelfth
district He said:
Il have been prorectionist all my
life, am protectionist tonight, but |
thoroughly believe in reciprocity with
Canada and other nations A lib
eral trade arrangement with Canada
would mean a large increase in the
volume of business in New England
1t would be interesting in this con-
fects in both countries of the reci-
procity treaty of 1854 between the
United States and Canada. That con-
vention was popular for a time on
both sides of the 'line,' and there can
be little doubt that it was, in the
main, beneficial. But a chief cause OF
violation of the spirit of the treaty
Where there had been enthusiasm
here over the arrangement up to the
late fitties by 1860 there was wide
dissatisfaction with it, and III March
of that year the house OF representa-
tives passed a resolution calling on
the president for official information
as to what Canada was doing. Mr..
Israel 7. Hatch was appointed by this
government to make the asked-tor
investigation, and his report showed
plainly enough that Canda was dis
eliminating against American produc-
ers by raising the rates of duty on GER
tain articles not coming under the
reciprocity provisions. thus making up
from our exports of this class the rev
enue that she was losing by the
treaty.
Some of these may we'll be cited
here: In 1855 American boots and
shoes were taxed ~ 1-2 per cent at the
Canada custom houses; ih 1888 they
had to pay II per cent and IN 1859 the
tariff had been advanced to ~ per
cent. The duty on silk goods was adj
vanced in the same period from II l2
to 20 per cent, and on WOOL iron and
cotton goods the same. Meantime re-
fined sugar was forced to pay tax
of 40 per cent instead of 80 per cent
and on American molasses, that i'll
1855 was paying only 16 per cent, the
duty had been advanced by 1859 to
80 per cent. In the course OF his re-
port Mr.. Hatch took occasion to say:
"If it be- true that Canada has a
right to increase it's taxes upon our
American industry-as it has done al
most to the exclusion of our manu-
no stipulation
against this course was inserted in
the treaty, then it has the right to
put an embargo (for prohibitory
duty amounts to an embargo) upon all
articles not enumerated in the treaty
and there would be no check to it's
aggressions.
All this was nearly half a century
ago, but the popular prejudice against
Canadas course at that time has not
yet disappeared. 1t has uniformly
operated to prevent renewal OF rec
some purely political considerations
got mixed UP with the trade arrange
ment of 1s54-but if they did, business
sentiment in favor Of the treaty was
not able to overcome the popular feel
ing against it. And it is to be kept
in mind in this connection
that. even with a difirential duty
now fayoring Great Britain to the ex-
tent of 33 per cent against the
limited States, we are still increasing