Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1907-09-24

dent Mckinley warned the country thai
Immediate consideration should be
given to our economic relations with
other peoples ii we would avert seri.
Gus blow to our foreign commerce
which appeared to him to be uncom-
fortably imminent Both he, his sue
cessor and all unbiased students of the
tariff situation for several years have
been convinced that the economic posi-
ton of the United States in the family
of nations in that connection is illogical
unintelligently narrow and selfish, and
untenable, IL reasonable and profitable
exchanges with the states of Europe
are to be maintained in the future.
The attitude of the persons and in
fiuences who and which have controlled
and still control our policy in this
regard, in the past, has been as defiant
Of foreign opinion and just complaint
as it has been contemptuous of native
rebellion against the tariff-bred monop-
olies of the trusts. The third section
of the Dingley bill permitted the execu-
tive to negotiate reciprocity treaties on
one side for sufficient concessions from
the other, extending advantages not ex-
ceeding a reduction of 20 per cent under
the full tariff rates. Although this
amounted to mere sop to Cerberus,
Mr.. Mckinley was able under it's author
ity to arrange eleven reciprocity agree
ments with various governments, not
ably a most desirable one with
a
suspected, with no sincere desire to see
the section made operative, it was pro-
vided that any and all such conventions
should require congressional ratifica-
ton. After all the trouble of negotia-
ton the executive branch of the gov
eminent had the modification to find
that it could not secure ratification for
any one of the agreements, and after
several trials in connection with that
with France and few others the effort
was dropped. Naturally this sort OF
conduct on the part of our law makers
was not as well liked abroad as it was
among the protected interests which
were responsible forsit, and the increas-
ing pressure Of the latter upon Euro
pean markets, rendered possible by the
"differential" advantages they possess
under the Dingley act, has not tended
materially to clarity the situation.
1t has been sufficiently plain for some
time that, unless we can reach some
reciprocal basis of exchange with
Europe, satisfactory to or at least toler-
able by France, Germany, Austria and
others, there will be retaliation upon
our great agricultural and pastoral
products as we'll as our manufactures
that will invoke the disaster President
Mckinley had in mind when he made
his Buffalo speech. Perhaps considera-
lions of even such import would be in
sufficient to jolt the trusts and their
agents in congress assembled out of
their SNUG indifference to the needs or
demands Of the country--that is, if the
matter were entirely in their own hands
without prospect or danger of inter-
ference. Therefore it is well that pub
lie opinion is, and for quite a while has
been, at work on this and other prob
lens presented by the tariff situation,
and that results will be apt to show
their heads in Washington before the
next session of the congress shall be
far advanced.
AS early as the spring Of 1905 a repre-
sentative convention of those engaged
in the live stock and agricultural in
dustries of the central and western
central regions of the United States
met in Denver and passed resolutions
demanding such change in the tariff
policy of the government MS would
relieve our farming and pastoral in
terests of the menace of partial or total
tariff exclusion from Europe. A still
i, more encouraging feature of the agita-
ton for reasonable revision is to be
found in connection with the meeting OF
the National Association Of Manufac-
turers, held in New York in May OF
this year. One would rather expect
conservatism, hesitation and possibly
unfriendliness in such an aggregation
of people, engaged in pursuits generally
favored by and identified with the sys-
tenn of protection. Their attitude, as
developed at the meeting, is the best
evidence that honest friends and advo.
Gates Of just and reasonable protection
to American producers and manufac-
turers are not necessarily afraid tc
advocate. the pruning down of the Ding.
ley trust tariff to near a point where
true protection ends and prohibition
and monopoly opportunities begin. Out
of 1900 members of the association 81
per cent were found in favor OF revision
and most of them in favor of radica
revision. Only 20 per cent were opposed
altogether. Out of 1884 members ex
pressing their views on the subject 1872
declared for a tariff commission Will
oyer and terminer" powers and 15'
were opposed to such tribunal. TakeI
by Industries seventy-six were favor
able and only one opposed. Evidentl,
the sentiment for sensible, scientific re.
vision and readjustment is growing
anaca even where least to be expected