The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-08-25

schedules as proposed by maximum and
minimum the rates must be carefully
drawn, and in my humble opinion, any
law which permitted the executive to
fix any import duty at any rate which
in the opinion of the president was just,
between the maximum and minimum.
would probably be in violation of the
Constitutional provision referred to. But
for congress to pass an act fixing the
rate of duty and directing the president
to make it minimum duty (also to be
fixed by congress) when other nations
give fair reciprocal trade with us, in
my humble opinion, the supreme court
following the Marshall Field case Just
closed, would sustain such a law
do not believe that any board or COM
mission appointed by congress under the
constitution act exercises any such
power. Such a board might be constitu-
tionally created for the purpose of ad
vising the president as to facts, but
congress could not delegate that power
to body of it's own creation. The exc
cutive power is fixed in the president
and certainly congress could not limit
or modify the executive power by Great
ING board to exercise executive func-
tions.
The danger, however, of commercial
trouble with other nations of the world
would, in my opinion be greatly multi
piled by such an act.
Blaine was the true author of section
3 of the Mckinley bill. Both he and
President Harrison urged, to the point
of insisting the introduction of the
general plan of reciprocity. 1t was not
entirely satisfactory to Chairman Nc
Kinley. Speaker Reed was opposed to
it, but afterward every one saw its
great usefulness. SPANS attention was
called to it, and she Immediately nego-
tiated, an offer to prevent the extra
duty from being laid upon sugar, and
our trade with Cuba in American bread
stuffs increased 100000 a month, and
my recollection is nearly $lOO0,O00 a
month on machinery and breadstuffs
All treaties negotiated under that act
were satisfactory, and when Colonel
81 4 III
titled the government of Denmark that
he would put on the duty on sugar COM
ing from Santa Cruz and other depend
encies unless they removed the embargo
on American food products the embargo
was raised in less than ten days.
The infant reciprocity was max
ing gigantic strides, and (what-
ever others may think of the doc
trine of protection or the Mckinley
bill most every fair minded man
agrees that the repeal of section 3,
known as the reciprocal clause of the
Mckinley bill was very serious blum
der. Under the Mckinley bill and Ding
ley bill reciprocity increased.
President Roosevelt, in keeping with
his party pledges, has negotiated treaty
after treaty, and in the morgue of the
United States senate they sleep the
sleep that knows no waking. Why not
put away shams and speak truthfully
and to the point? Our senior senator
admits that he cannot get them up for
consideration, saying Tin his address at
the reciprocity congress) that to defeat
them might offend some other nation.
Why not put away the diplomacy and
indirectness of craftsmanship and state
that the senators are able, by reason of
the senate rules, to prevent a vote upon
these bills, and they do not want to go
on record upon the subject, and they
are a good deal less afraid of offending
foreign nations than they are of offend
ing their constituents? If the treaties
are right pass them, and if they are
wrong defeat them. Under the ancient
un- American rules of the United States
senate, every one in the senate is able
to be on both sides of every question,
because the final roll call is never reach
ed.
Mr. Editor, to win, the American peo-
pie must get an American senate, that
will permit the majority to do business
and compel the dodger to show his hand
and take the responsibility he is elected
to take Then we will get some laws
that the people are asking for. Lincoln
said you could not fool all the people
all the time, but | guess if he were
alive now he would make an exception
in this case, for all the people are hold
ing conventions and bringing forward
amendments to the tariff, for the regu-
ton of trusts, for regulating insurance
funds and for interstate commerce reg
| ulations, but all these high sounding pc
titions fall upon the ear of the senator
like sounding brass and tinkling Gym
balls. When the bills are brought be-
| fore the next session of congress the
same is likely to be done as at the last
make lono sneeohes denOllnce evil-do-