Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-06-18
Opposition of Special Interests
In Senate May Doom Reel
procity to Failure $50
PRESIDENT AND HAY FAVOR 1T
Reciprocity With Canada Would Be
Particularly Pleasing to Them =
What Laurer May Do-SpeciaI In
terest Contest, Pro and Con. Would
Put Reciprocity on Firmer Footing.

| Washington. June 1S.--With the de-
pa ture from Washington of Eugene g.
Hay. Of Minneapolis, rumber of dell
rite statements may be made with re-
gard to the outlook for Canadian reel
procity and the reassemb.y of the Join'
high commission. Mr. Hay WAS here
for almost week as the representative
Of the Minnesota branch of the Ma
tional Reciprocity League, and had eX-
tensive interviews with the president,
Secretary Hay and other officials who
in touch with the reciprocity situation
II may be said that both the presi-
dent and Secretary Hay are heartily
in favor of reciprocity with Canada,
because they consider that a reciproci-
~ convention with that country VII.
present fewer complications and OBJ
iectionable features than would como
to the front in the arranging of treaty
with any other country. AT the same
time, however. both of these high Off
Gals are skeptical regarding the prob
ability of the senate ratitying any reci-
procity treaty, even one with Canada.
If the president could have his way.
the Kasson treaties. which for years
have been pigeon -holed in the se9te
committee on foreign relations, would
be ratified Immediately OF the conven
ing Of the senate next tall, and h
would have the joint high commission
meet this summer and prepare treaty
with Canada to present to the senate
Before the holidays. But the opposi-
lion of special interests in the senate Is
so powerful that reciprocity there i
probably doomed to failure, unless rae
ical changes of sentiment can be Sc
cured. That there is 10 be such
change there is little promise. hence
The pessimistic view of the presiden
and of Secretary Hay over the outloof
1t is feared in Washington that 81
Wilfrid Laurier before agreeing to III
reconvening of the joint high commits
sion may ask the president or Secre-
cary Hay to give Canada some assur
ances that treaty. If made by tn
commission. will be ratified by tn,
American senate. Such assurances,
course. could not be given. and If in
sisted upon as Il condition preceden
to the reassemhlng of the high joints.
there will be no reassembling of tina
body.
Canada may. however, be willing (
have the commission meet, trusting tn
future to bring the American senat
into line but that does not seem to b
quite her attitude at present. Right a
this point, it will thus be seen, lie:
the chief obstacle in the way of :;
meeting of the commission. This i:
are in touch with the reciprocity situa
ton.
few words. 1t bears out fully the re-
port which Mr.. Hay recently made te
the Minnesota branch of the Nationa
Reciprocity League regarding the prob
abilities of the case, and shows nm
as having made a very perfect fore
cast of the situation which did not de
velop until some time after his repor'
had gone to the public.
Attention is called to the fact thai
no reciprocity treaty yet made by this
country has had the aggressive sup
port of the special interests that wouiG
be favoYably affected by it, The spe-
cial interests which would be unfavora
bly, affected have always rallied theh
supporters, and thru their representa-
tives in the senate have stood In the
way of ratification If the special in
terests that would be favored by
treaty with Canada were to organizs
and come to Washington in deter
mined manner and make hard fight
here against the special interests that
would oppose the treaty. situation
would develop which might lead to rat
ification. Such a contest has never
been made, and the chances are that
the manufacturers and others who are
in favor OF Canadian treaty will be
the first to make 1t.
The state department frankly admits
that such a contest would put reel
procity on much tirmer footing IN the
senate than it has yet occupied.
Meanwhile negotiations between SIX
Wilfrid Laurier and Senator Fairbanks
continue. and it will be known about
the middle of July what the Canadians
will saw to our formal request for q re-
assembling of the joint high commits
sion. If they do not insist upon the
assurance of ratification from the
United States. the commission will
probably meet. and that will mean that
a treaty will be prepared. That treaty.
of course. would encounter bitter OPP
position in the senate from New En-
giand, and perhaps other sections of
the country, and then would be the
time for those to be benefited to organ
ize and come to Washington prepared
tn mike a hot fight
East st. Louis-SiN-ye ar-old Johnnie