The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-02-14
mo RECIPROCITY
H0PElN SENATE
Elder Statesmen Sure to Amend
Treaties to Point Of Rejec-
tion Abroad.
Rx W.~Jermane..

Washington, Feb. 14.-It is absolute-.
~ useless to expect reciprocity by trea-
ties which must 90 to the senate for CON
firmation: Recent experience has been
sufficiently Illuminating. The Cuban
ease was so peculiar in it's condition as
to furnish no real exception.
The senate may be described as a.
fare of group of special interests, usu-.
ally those OF the states and constituent.
cles of the senator's, but not necessarily
so. It is the best senator who gets the:
most for his own people, or interests, in
the way. Of privileges and advantages,
patronage and appropriations. il
f.: Of general welfare representation,
there is little or none. Senators rush,
and push, and struggle for what is of sad-
or neighborhood. In such an atmosphere
a reciprocity. treaty, as a measure for
lessening tariff duties, proves about as
effective asweapon as would a2snoWbau
in a boiler house. . :.
How the Senate Rules. ::
It is an old saying that this is a repre-.
sentative government. When it comes
to dealing with foreign nations we cease
tation. The state department. may be
promptly overridden and made ridicu.
lous; the foreign relations committee Of
tho senate may be as speedily set aside.
The entire ninety senators must be
satisfied, two-thirds Of them actually,
and nine-tenths of them under the in
fuence of log-rolling devices. They do
not make the trades with any foreign
government; no premier Of Newfound-
into the senate chamber to talk with it's
entire membership in the preparation of
treaty, and yet that is what such a
foreigner ought to do it, his proposal Is
to have genuine considerations -.
Under the workings of our present
treaty making machinery, the Hay-Bond
treaty debate in the senate ran on all
fours:r Each senator decided what he
wanted put in, in the way of advantage,
just as if the United States senate were
the whole story, and. Newfoundland an
| eleemosynary institution at the outer
door, which would take whatever we saw
fit to give. 1920. =
What viii Treaty Do. - =
1t is interesting to observe the con.
ficting claims as to the treaty. The adj
vocates of Canadian reciprocity think il
The high tariff advocate s, on the; ,othe,
hand, assert that this is not the<case
and that the treaty so carefully guards
American interests as to insure the fail
ure Of it's acceptance by the Newfound
land government.
Commercially, this treaty is not Of
great Importance, for the present, but
years it may mean an import, trade .,
$l5, 900, 900 annually for Newfoun dland
Of which the United States. with Thu
i treaty in force, would get the lion I
share. The present exports Of New
foundland amount annually to a ou
$10,0000,000, and the imports to abou
100000 these latter being divided il
a fairly equal way between the United
States, Canada and England. During
tendency there to purchase in the Ameri
can market, and when Premier Bon,
;, took up with the American government
| the question of trade treaty. in 1902
, he was acting in harmony with the sen
!. timent Of his people.
Newfoundland Trade.
/ Newfoundland is a little smaller tina,
Pennsylvania, and it has. a population
; Of 225,000. AS late as 1903, foEur-ifth
} of it's total exports were 2:the product
Of the fisheries, but the country has i'm
mense resources in lumber and WOO
> pulp, slate. iron, copper and other metal
; and minerals, and it is believed that tn
, next few years will bring about ma
terial increase in its export trade. Thi
would increase the import trade, and s
> it has been figured by the experts tina
> by 1910 Newfoundland will probabl
, have an import business worth SIS, 1000
900 per year. ~ 49,: T.:
4 The treaty gives free entrance int
8 Newfoundland Of American agriculture
1 and other. implements and machinery
8 gives a preference to American f1oul
;, pork, bacon, etc, and grants importan
8 privileges. to American fishermen in tn
n matter Of bait. In return, Newfounc
land asks a market for her fish and tn
4 products of her mines.
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