The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-22
ABOUT THIS POWERFUL INTEREST
THE FIGHT FOR RECIPROCITY
WILL REVOLVE
DEMOCRATS CHANGE FRONT
Former Southern Free Traders Now
Find They, Have Interests to
Protect, and Will Probably
Favor Lumber Tariff.
ACTION NOT AT ALL LIKELY
GLOBE WASHINGTON BUREAU,
Post Building. Room 45.

Post building. Room 10.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 21.-There is a lot
of talk about reciprocity with Canada,
but no one appears to have any very
clear idea of what is wanted or how it
is to be brought about. The time for ne
gotiating reciprocity treaties under the
Dingley law has passed. The joint high
commission stands adjourned without
day. They might be called together
again. but their efforts to secure rect-
procity when they were in session were
so unsuccessful that no one has much
hope from that quarter. Congress might
take the bull by the horns and pass d
law authorizing q special treaty to be
negotiated with Canada; for congress can
do almost anything. But congress won't.
At present the question of ways and
means seems to be lost sight of in the
general agitation as to whether the
policy of reciprocity is to be generally
favored. There is no question that there
is strong sentiment in Canada in favor
of reciprocity with this country. 1t is
equally certain that there is responsive
sentiment in all the border states. hut
that does not settle the matter. There
are some interests which fear removal
of the tariff, or any reduction of duties.
and these interests will oppose the pr1n-
ciple as Stubbornly as they opposed 1t
when the joint high commission was In
session. 1t was officially announced at
the time the commission adjourned that
the trouble was caused by the Alaskan
boundary: but it has since developed
that the tariff was at the bottom of the
disagreement The lumber interests.
which are already at work to head Off
any reciprocity movement, were largely
responsible for the failure of the COM
mission to complete any agreement.
New England in Opposition.
Just now the voice of New England Is
raised against reciprocity. Senators ike
Hale Aldrich, Platt of Connecticut;
Gallinger and Mcmillan are. on record
against it.
Lumber is going to be the axis on
which the whole question of Canadian
reciprocity will turn. Canada would like
the 50 tariff taken from lumber and
there are interests in the United States
which would like to see that done;s but
the men who own Stumpage in oregon,
washington state, Georgia, Florida, the
CALIFORNIA; and other Southern states,
will oppose any such project.
1t is worth remarking that a number
of Southern statesmen who were former
ly free tfaQerS nave pSSOAuO pAONNNNAOiN-
lists since they got interests to protect
Ten years ago they voted against the
lumber tariff, but since that time the
forests of Minnesota, Michigan and the
New EnglanA states have been denuaeu
and states like Georgia have found a
market for their forests. They have be-
gun selling lumber in the states OF the
Middle West and they are asserting
that the protective tariff is local issue,
ol1t Canadian
coming in to compete with theirs.
Another thing must be borne in mind.
THE owners of the Southern and lar
Western forests are largely the same
men who owned the forests OF Michigan,
Minnesota. Wisconsin and North Dakota.
In many instances they also own stump
age in Canada, so their interests are Ill
versifed and involved. But the prepon-
derance is on the side of protecting the
American lumber. For this purpose they
will control the senators and congress
men from states like Minnesota and
michigan. as we'll as those where the un-
c11t timber is owned. Thus the opposition
is multiplied.
SpeciaI Interests Need PamPering'
There are a good many people interest
cd in protecting special interests who are
inst now masauerading as friends of reci-
nrocity. They will talk glibly of open
ing Canadian or other markets and get
ting free entry to the United States for
things which we want; but when it comes
to the terms of the trade which these
people would agree to, it is found that
they want to give nothing and to take ali.
There were many of these in the reci-
procity convention. They were present to
get into the camp of the enemy and dis
cover his strength. They wanted to find
what kind of a game they are up against
They are chiefly interested in finding who
IS back of the reciprocity talk and how
strong the movement is going to be.
Experts in legislation predict that there
will be no tariff revision and no reciproc-
itv legislation from this winters con-
press. So confident are they of this thai
thev are willing to bet and offer liberia
odds. But all admit that from now OF
the tariff will be the paramount issue
The Republicans will do all in thei1
mower to head it off and to counteract it
hut the Democrats will harp on the tariff
and the allied theme of the trusts, O
which they viii allege the tariff is th'
mother.
The prosperity a-vument will do larg'
duty in opposition the talk OF tarlf
revision. The claim OF the Republican,
will be that the people are satifed witt
conditions as they are, and that 1t woult
he worse than folly to disturb them