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

A PROPHECY FULFILLED.
Agrarian legislation In Germany,
| enacted under the gulse of meat in
spection laws, has curtailed the impor-
| tation Of American pork one-third
since April /, 1908, as shown by the
report of Consul General Mason, and,
owing to the consequent high prices OF
| meat to the German people. the con-
sumption Of horse flesh in Berlin has
doubled. having very greatly Increased
| in all other German cities. If Governor
Cummins should say anything to the
Chicago business men In his Saturday
evenings address about the advisable
ity Of tariff revision by means Of re-
ciprocal treaties 1t Is likely that Lafe
Young would set up howl about
Dangerous free trade doctrine" spell
ing destruction for all Iowa farming
interests.
Within the past ten days Germany
has sent word to our government that
our trade treaty with her will expire
next spring and that she purposes to
have a better deal out of us or else her
bars will go up notch or two high
er against our trade under the opera
ton of her new tariff law.
In this connection 1t will be inter-
esting to recall the language of the
Cummins Canadian reciprocity inaug-
urnl which. under thu skflful manip-
ulation OF the Blythe, machine press,
came very near making the governor
infamous as well as famous turnout
Iowa. In the light OF subsequent de-
velopments that inaue ural now seems
almost prophetic. The governor said
then:
"Contemporaneously with our advent
into the wider sphere Of influence the
commercial nations seemed to awaken
to a consciousness Of what we are do
ing In the way of trade. and they are
amazed to find that we had taken first
place in the business Of the world.
They perceived for the first time, APP
parently, that while wit were making
mighty threads on their markets, they
were practically shut ont Of ours. Day
by day the appreciation Of the situa-
ton grew more completti and the COM
sequence has been an intelligent and
continuous effort on the part of each
nation to so adjust its laws and treat
les as to give the maximum amount Of
work to its own people.
so long as we were allie to exclude
competitive commodities from our
markets and enter other lands practi-
cally without hindrance, we occupied
an ideal position, one whihh, IL 1t could
continue, would make US the absolute
master of the commercial world. But
it could not continue. it HAS not con-
tinued, and henceforth VIII must fight
for even a fair chance abi.oad."
Then Cummins suggested that he be-
lieyed 1t possible to make On advantage
eous trade treaty with canada and
continues:
Il go further. We can make treaties
with Central and South America, with
France, Germany, Spain aitd italy that
will immensely increase ollr exports.
Germany is making II harder for
you all the while. and yet we rest SUI
pinely, watching with apttarent salts
faction the gradual exclusion of the
Iowa farmer from the markets of the
German empire"
This was said more thaii a year ago.
Today Germany has said to us "The
time has come for you fellows to eth
err fish or cut bait" CUnnlins could
see it then. We can all Of us see it
now. Even the reciprocity with Can
ada clause of that inaugural will some
day be vindicated by experience. Those
who were honest with Ctmmins at the
time could see then that he spoke only
for treaty that would lie "advantag-
eous to our own people" or else none
will be made" but the deal in Polk
county whereby he was tired upon and
whole delegation Of his troops
massacred under flag Ut truce some
what obscured the political vision of
great many people.
= l.