New-York tribune., 1905-06-09
LETTERS TO TIE EDITOR.
TRADE TREATIES cR TARIFF WARS.
Reciprocity Only Another Way of Securing
Free TIE.

| To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir: The few having free trade tendencies. finding
their cause unsupported at home iy any put those
| unwilling or unable to account for our industrial
nnbuainy &c resulting from wige tJ-iff regua tons.
have been and are looking To fore'En countries for
help for their losing cause
Recprocal trade negotiations and tariff treaties
are only another way attacking the ar'f and an
other way for accomplishing free trade Dy foreign
influence and threatened tariff wars
European business men, leaders and rulers. for
II is with them that we have to deal in this matter
are we'll aware all practical people ere that
they must have cheap food products. and II they
are Obliged to buy foodstuffs that they must
have more market in which 10 seH Ilieir own diiu
factured goods
Now they propose to say to u. ana IN fact do say
, to us You must lower your tariff on our manu-
featured goods else will not buy our food
products from you deal with you to any great
extent" These threats taken seriously only by
those In favor of free trade. No ope else considers
them of any account. and they are OF no value
whatever, only wedges.
! TO a country like this with a surplus of food
products and raw materials and satisfied LABOR
with unauestioned ability to manufacture all its
own requirements in every branch of merchandise,
ard knowing the advantages TO the producers oi
food products In home consumption 1t is rldcuIous
to propose any sort of reciprocal trade treaty that
means as 1t must letting in manufactured goodS
on a basis that would be satisfactory to both par
ties.
/ We want only our share of the worlds markets
ard that only on our merits When the world wants
what we have to SELL they will buy at the lowest
prices obtanable therefore why force 1t? When We
can be independent why temporize, or allow our
internal policies to be disturbed by European die
tation. who have in view not our advantage only
the pushing and extension of their own manu-
faceures?
There is nothing whatever in trade treaties that
can in the least degree be of benefit to us; other
wise they would not be attempted. Reciprocity is
only another for bargain by which we
will be the loser and is disguise Tor free uaoe
and its propagation -. 49,,
We do not need desire to enter into com
gardng the barter of merchandise and do not faVor
one nation than another. Let US puy anu
sell independently and ever MAINTAIN our own
standard of values and conditions within our Dor
ders. conditions which we find Will pTlhB to a ou
people the greatest prosperity. nh,
Reciprocity is a vanished dream OF past pontlcai
visionists and now a nightmare of revisionists, a
last straw for free traders TO grasp at Inc woId
magnetism or soulfulness and was paraded as a
political virtue some years ago by tnen elliIeit
statesmen but brought down to date by practcdl
use II amounts simply to bargain between po-
itical powers wherein one OF the salo po"eie SetS
the worst end of it,
We positively do not want any favored nation
reciprocal trade treaties of any sort or Kind as
we do not need them Washington ADVISED
strongly against such dealings and Jefferson ad-
vocated home manufactures to the fullest extent
of our requirements -,
The threat of tariff wars brought about by Euro
mean dissatisfaction with tariff laws is certain
iy not the part OF wisdom or sagacity on the part
of free traders 1t proves to US that the principle
of the protective tariff is vital one ana lts pos
sible destruction is sought from withou5 I2r no
I'D to H. w. rOOi..
York June 2 1900.