RECIPROCITY, a policy under which there exist two sets of tariff duties; one to be put in force under ordinary cir cumstances; the other a much lower one to be established in case another coun try reduces its tariff schedules to a cor responding scale. In the case of the United States reciprocity has been greatly talked of as existing between that nation and Canada. In 1854 a reci procity treaty was negotiated between the two countries which provided for mutual free trade between the United States and Canada. While it was popu lar at first in stimulating trade the busi ness depression in the United States in 1857 greatly influenced that nation to re peal the act in 1865.
The Republican party a few years la ter, in order to please the agricultural and exporting classes who were in gen eral opposed to the high tariff, cham pioned the principle of reciprocity. In 1875 a reciprocity treaty was negotiated and signed between Hawaii and the United States, but it was not until the McKinley Administration that such trea ties were made with any important na tions. During that administration reci
procity was established with France, Portugal, Germany, and Italy. Treaties were negotiated with other countries which the Senate refused to ratify. President McKinley in his last public ad dress, the Buffalo Exposition speech, strongly advocated reciprocity. In 1903 a reciprocity treaty with Cuba was nego tiated and ratified by the Senate.
In 1911 President Taft negotiated a reciprocity treaty with Canada and in spite of the opposition of many of the Western members of his party he suc ceeded in securing its passage by Con gress, only to have it rejected by Can ada. The Democrats, believing as they do in low tariff duties, have never es poused reciprocity, holding that the re ciprocal action of another country is immaterial.