Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-05-06

| cherish and protect them. Not only
so, but the unreasonable and infiexible
duties of tariff law, made ostensibly
to defend the home market against un-
| fair occupation by foreign competitors,
| SO angers other nations that they are
/ all in concert to make it hard. If not
| impossible. to sell American products
in the markets of the world.
As to Canada.
Canada has been knocking at our
| doors for years for fair trade, and we
| have blindly rejected her advances
! until now, I fear. the door Of opportun-
| ity is forever closed. I have been ac-
cused of being unfaithful to the far
mers OF the west because have as
serted from time to time my belief that
there was chance for increasing our
| trade with Canada, without in any
wise injuring any interest of the Unit
ed States. l would no: knowingly ad
/, vocate any measure that would have
tendency to diminish the price to the
producer OF any agricultural product,
| for believe that these men have borne
| more than their share of the burden
during all these years of our develop
ment, and l have never favored, nor do
now. the admission of any agricul-
tural product upon terms that would
unfavorably affect our own agriculture
| al producers But. aside from this
phase of the matter. there was still
/ abundant room to do business with
Canada upon fair terms. A few years
ago the most distinguished diplomat
ana economist of the United States-
a citizen of Iowa--under the appoint
ment and guidance of William
Mckinley. negotiated a series of
treaties. the sole purpose of
| which was to help US in the fight we
We're making. in other lands, especially
for a market for our agricultural sur
| plus. These treaties went to the sen :
ate with the approval of the president.
| whose broad vision was able to per-
ceive the fundamental truth that we
could not permanently sell everything
| and buy nothing. And yet they have
lain ever since in the dusty and neglec-
! ted archives of a senate which refuses
even to discuss or consider them.
! Germany Threatens Us.
1--WE are now threatened with entire
exclusion from the markets of Ger
| many unless we take UP the subject
of reciprocal trade, and make SOM
fair bargain with that nation. The
] only response which have seen to the
suggestion of disaster comes from the
| distinguished secretary of the treas
ury, who is reported as saying that if
! Germany exacts from us the maximum
duties of tariff, we can take repris-
ais, which means, assume, that we
/ can exclude Germany's products from
/
ter upon a trade war with any coun-
A try, but a war of tariffs is as destruc-
tive as war of armies and navies, and
why should we go to war simply to
crafty the fatuous disciples OF unreas-
/ enable greed and avarice? "
Il assume that you do not expect
from me a mere academic discussion
of our trade relations with other coun-
tries To take up in detail the oppor-
tunities for reciprocal trade which
| may be carried on with mutual disad-
vantage is not possible within the time
at my disposal, nor do l believe that
such a discussion Is pertinent to the
present situation. The question is,
Will our government consider the SUBJ
ject at all? Can we introduce spirit
which will permit am examination OF
the subject with fairness and impair
tiatity? 1t is impossible for me to
view the field from any other than a
political standpoint The congress of
the United States is the only body that
has the power to change the laws
which relate to imports and exports.
AS composed at this time. it is un-
alterably, inflexibly. and Indignantly
| opposed to any change whatsoever
| Therefore. If you desire change in
| the law-I will go further-if you de-
sire an opportunity to hold reason
able conference with respect to a
change in the law. you must substi-
tute men who will do something for
men who are determined to do moth
ing. do not impugn either the pa
triotism, the intelligence, or the sim
cerity of this great Legislative trib-
unal. simply state a fact so obvious
that he who runs may read and a fact
(which to me is so portentous that he
| who reads should run.
II am not conscious OF a partisan
mood when I say that the establish
ment of fair reciprocal! trade relations
! cannot be accomplished by transferring
| the political power to an organization
| WHICH DetieNeS III q 1cSCil4C letiiii, eto
distinguished from protective tariff.
A system of international economy
which would open our ports to the
traffic of the. world with no other re-
striction than duties laid to create a
revenue has no place in it for an eff
fective international trade bargain.
THE conclusion is that If you want
helpful trade regulation which will en-
brace not only the fair protection of
our own markets, but which will widen
the doors of foreign markets. YOU must
| fill congress with men who believe.
| first in protective tariff; that is to
/ say, men who believe not only that 1t
is within the power of the government.
but within its duty as we'll. to so in
terfere with the natural laws of trade
that the general welfare will be pro-
NOTED and the general prosperity en-
HANGED: who believe that it is as inn
perative a duty to enlarge our foreign
trade as to protect our domestic trade;
who believe that the import duties
now levied are SO high that they not
only inffict injustice upon our con-
sumers. but obstruct our enterprise
and diminish our business in other
Hands; who believe that when a thing
is wrong there is but one time to right
lit. and that he who pauses for mo-
ment because ii is difficult, disagree
able or unpopular is a traitor to the
|best ideals of American citizenship.
1--WE may as we'll face the situation.