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Harrison
was elected president on a platform advocating protection to home
industries; and, two months before he sent to Congress the annual
message from which this extract is taken, he had approved of the
“McKinley Act,” a tariff measure which greatly increased protection,
while it reduced the revenue from import duties. This law contained a
section providing for a limited reciprocity in the manner described in
the text a measure that bad been strongly advocated by James G. Blaine,
… the secretary of state.
Immediately after its passage the McKinley law was subjected to much
severe criticism both at home and abroad.
For Harrison, see
Lew Wallace, Life of General Benjamin Harrison. --- Bibliography:
Bowker and Iles, Reader's Guide in Economic, Social, and Political
Science, 65 … .
THE misinformation as to the terms of the act which has been so widely
disseminated at home and abroad will be corrected by experience, and the
evil auguries as to its results confounded by the market reports, the
savings-banks, international trade balances, and the
[524] general
prosperity of our people. Already
we begin to hear from abroad and from our custom-houses that the
prohibitory effect upon importations imputed to the act is not justified.
. . . And so far
ft being an act to limit exports, I confidently believe that under it we
shall secure a larger and more profitable participation in foreign trade
than we have ever enjoyed, and that we shall recover a proportionate
participation in the ocean carrying trade of the world. . . .
There is no disposition among any of our people to,
promote prohibitory or retaliatory legislation. Our policies are adopted
not to the I of others, but to secure for ourselves those advantages that
fairly grow out of our favored position as a nation. Our form of
government, v its incident of universal suffrage, makes it imperative that
we shall 8 our working people from the agitations and distresses -which
scant w and wages that have no margin for comfort always beget.
But after all this is done it will be found that our markets are
open to friendly commercial exchanges of enormous value, to the other
great powers.
From the time of my induction into office the duty of
using everv power and influence given by law to the Executive Department
for development of larger markets for our products, especially our farm
products, has, been kept constantly in mind, and no effort has beer will
be spared to promote that end. We are under no disadvantage any foreign
market, except that we pay our workmen and work workwomen better wages
than 'are paid elsewhere -- better abstractly, better relatively to the
cost of the necessaries of-life.
I do not doubt that a N largely increased foreign trade is
accessible to us without bartering it either our home market for such
products of the farm and shop as own people can supply or the wages of our
working people.
In
many of the products of wood and iron, and in meats and breadstuffs, we
have advantages that only need better facilities of intercourse and
transportation to secure for them large foreign markets.
The reciprocity clause of the tariff act wisely and effectively
opens the way secure a large reciprocal trade in exchange for the free
admission to ports of certain products. The right of independent nations
to in special reciprocal trade concessions is well established, and does
impair either the comity due to other powers or what is known as
"favored-nation clause," so generally found in commercial treat
What is given to one for an adequate agreed consideration can not claimed
by another freely. The state of the revenues was such that could dispense
with any import duties upon coffee, tea, hides, and lower [545]
grades of sugar and molasses. That the large advantage
resulting to the countries producing and exporting these articles by
placing them on the free list entitled us to expect a fair return in the
way of customs concessions upon articles exported by us to them was so
obvious that to have gratuitously abandoned this opportunity to enlarge
our trade would have been an unpardonable error.
There were but two methods of maintaining control of this question open
to Congress ; to place all of these articles upon the dutiable list,
subject to such treaty agreements as could be secured, or to place them
all presently upon the free list, but subject to the re-imposition of
specified duties if the countries from which we received them should
refuse to give to us suitable reciprocal benefits. , This latter method, I
think, possesses great advantages. It expresses in advance the consent of
Congress to reciprocity arrangements affecting these products, which must
otherwise have been delayed and unascertained until each treaty was
ratified by the Senate and the necessary legislation enacted by Congress.
Experience has shown that some treaties looking
to reciprocal trade have failed to secure a two-thirds vote in the Senate
for ratification, and others having passed that stage have for years
awaited the concurrence of the House and Senate in such modifications of
our revenue laws as were necessary to give effect to their provisions. We
now have the concurrence of both houses in advance in a distinct and
definite offer of free entry to our ports of specific articles. The
Executive is not required to deal in conjecture as to what Congress will
accept. Indeed, this reciprocity provision is more than an offer. Our part
of the bargain is complete; delivery has been made; and when the countries
from which we receive sugar, coffee, tea, and hides have placed on their
free lists such of our products as shall be agreed upon, as in equivalent
for our concession, a proclamation of that fact completes tic transaction;
and in the mean time our own people have free sugar, tea, coffee, and
hides.
The indications thus far given are very hopeful of
early and favorable action by the countries from which we receive our
large imports of coffee and sugar, and it is confidently believed that if
steam communication with these countries can be promptly improved and
enlarged tile next year will show a most gratifying increase in our
exports of bread-stuffs and provisions, as well as of some important lines
of manufactured goods.
Senate Journal, 51
Cong., 2. sess. (Washington, 1890), 8 passim.
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