The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-03-23

lest year for which the figures are avail
ablc) Germany imported from the world
meat animals and meat products to the
value of $3.50, 529,6 500. In his statement
Mr.. McCleary pretends to quote some
figures from German sources. He could
scarcely be ignorant of the figures here
quoted The department of agriculture
has translated and published German
statistics which show that for many
years Germany has imported from the
world grain and breadStufls, live ami
mails and live stock products amounting
in the neighborhood of $2500O0,000 a
year.
The figures which Mr.. McCleary has
quoted regarding exports to Germany Of
wheat and flour the past year have only
been published thus far in ones docu-
ment, the monthly summary of com
merce and finance, by the department of
commerce. 1t is to be presumed that
Mr.. McCleary has seen this document
since he quotes from it. This document
shows that in the year ending December
81, 1905, the United States shipped to
| Germany, outside of cotton and tobacco,
farm products amounting to more than
$50000000. If cotton and tobacco be
included the total is about %l50,000,000.
Why should Mr.. McCleary take a few
items from this report and put them
forth in a manner to deceive his con-
stituents and the farmer of the United
States? What interest has he in making
false statements for the purpose of be-
lifting our commercial relations with
Germany.
The whole trouble has been that Ger
many has denied to American farmers
a fair share of her enormous market for
farm products; and her new tariff would
have wiped out the small amount that
we have been able to SELL in spite of
restrictions, if the maximum duties had
been enforced against this country.
Fortunately Germany has decided to
give us a year OF grace,. so we. cap halye
time to think the matter over and see if
we cannot make concessions. Without
any reductions III duties on our part,
Germany has decided to give us until
June 80, 1907, the minimum rates of her
new tariff, in the hope that by that time
a treaty can be negotiated. This is in
harmony with many friendly acts of
Germany towards this country in the
past, and is in striking contrast with
the policy of reciprocity with a club
which Mr.. McCleary has advocated.
In 1892, for example, Secretary Blaine
negotiated a treaty with Germany, by
which he obtained for American farm
ers the minimum rates in the German
tariff of 1891 on our grain, flour and
meat products, and he also succeeded in
embargo on our pork. In 1894 congress
upset the Blaine treaty, so far as our
obligations were concerned, and instead
of making concessions, actually enforced
duties which Disseminated against Ger
many in favor of other countries. In
1897 these determinations were contin-
ued. In spite of this unfriendly act on
the part of the United States, Germany
did not withdraw her minimum rates.
Our wheat and flour and bacon have
continued to pay the minimum rates.
Germany statistics show that in one
year, 1908. when we had large surplus
and needed market, Germany took
about 100000 bushels of American
wheat and over a million barrels of our
-four
The trouble in this country is that
the steel trust, the sugar trust and 9th
er trusts which are gouging Mr.. Me
Cleary's constituents, do not want reel
procity with Germany. They do not
care what becomes of American wheat
and live stock, so long as they can main
tain the excessive privileges which they
enjoy in the Dingley tariff. The sugar
trust alone has made about $l00,000,O00
out of 'provisions" in the Wilson and
Dingley tariffs which have Disseminated
against Germany. If Mr.. McCleary had
been successful in stirring up a tariff
war with Germany the sugar trust
would make about S2OO0O0O month
out of it, while it lasts, because it
would enable the trust to raise the price
of refined sugar and get more out of
Mr.. McCleary's constituents without
paying any more for the raw sugar
which they import from the tropics.
Why should Mr.. McCleary seek to de
ceive his constituents? Under the true
policy of protection, which was advocat
ed by Mckinley and Blaine, the farmers
of Mr.. McCleary's district would get a
share of the benefits which the govern
ment can confer on the people by tariffs
and treaties. This policy was endorsed
by Harrison, Arthur and Grant, good re-
publican presidents. The fathers of our
country, Washington, Franklin, Hamii-
ton, Adams and host of other states
men of early days, sought earnestly to
broaden our markets by treaties in
which we offered concessions in tariff
duties to other countries. 1t is only
through treaties to broaden our markets
that our farmers can obtain any i'm
portant benefit from tariff legislation.
Why should Mr.. McCleary seek to de-
ceive his constituents, when the only
result of the policy he advocates is to
help a few trusts, to the injury of the
farmer?
Tla 60 al, Of hn