Daily Kennebec journal., 1906-04-25
MAINE EDITORIAL COMMENT.
Reciprocity on Potatoes.
(Hangor Sunday Republican,

G.angOr Sunday Repnblican)
We have no doubt our Democratic
friends, who found such pleasure in
securing to address them at their
banquet in Portland that avOWed free
trader Of Boston, Mr.. Henry NJ. Whit
ncy, who under the cloak Of reciprocal
trade relations with Canada, seeks to
accomplish a selfish corporation pur-
pose in the free entry of certain goods,
will carry along the fallacious IDEAS to
the admission of potatoes and fish free
of duty. Such course of procedure
would only be in line with their famed
tendency to do the wrong thing to the
advantage of personal interests when
ever opportunity affords, and they
could not consistently hesitate TO ruin
the potato industry of Maine, which IS
no worth over 100000 to the laim-
ers of the State (and in the course of
another decade will undoubtedly
amount to $l0,00O.000 morc) and also
put a blight of Improbable COMPETE
ton on the fish business.
The enormous growth Of the potato
industry in Maine is shown by the
figures given in another column and
the development is we'll calculated to
inspire marvel among investigators.
the most interesting feature about it.,
however, lies in the constant progress
and in the fact that. according to the
interest shown in this field of endeavor
by farmers in other parts of the State
beside AroOstOok, particularly Wash
ington, Waldo. Somerset, Piscataquis
and Penobscot counties, the production
will very probably be doubled in 10
years.
1t is matter of common knowledge
that the growers of New Brunswick.
no matter how fertile their farms may
be or how well-blcSSed in other di
rections they are. look with longing
eyes on the markets open to the Maine
pOtato-producers and would gleefully
welcome an opportunity to cut prices
to almost nothing could they turn the
products of their fields to the centerS
of distribution in Boston and New
York. Thousands of them along the
border are only awaiting a chance,
with leSSened tariff rate, to ruin the
industry here by putting their potatoes
in the United States at a price beyond
the competition Of the Maine grower.
and they hope for u few years of Il
Wilson tariff To demOraliZe the field in
the Pine Tree state. Evidently the
Democratic party would assist them i'm
this effort. in order that the reciprocal
ideas of certain Boston capitalists may
prevail.
The potato crop of Maine is already
counted us its best spot cash asset
ana its maintenance AT ana increase
beyond In" imposing figure, establish
cd after years of sacrificing endeavor.
is of the utmost Importance to every
citizen of the commonwealth, whether
or not he is personally Interested i'm
the production, while TO the farmers of
the State on no one other thing does
their prosperity and general well-being
so positively depend. A good market
for their product and n price permit
ting fair profit are absolutely essen
tial if they would retain the proud po-
Sition and comfortable situation they
now enjoy.
That such would be impossible un-
der the fallacious proposition of freer
trade offered by the party blessed by
the faculty of always taking hold of
the wrong end of question is too APP
parent to warrant discussion and the
Maine farmers, and those interested in
ther welfare, are well aware that the
suggestion of permitting Democratic
misrule for even the bricfest period is
one calculated to bring nothing but
disaster on the satisfactory condition
| or affairs which now prevails-dfsaster
that would result in loss which could
not be recovered from in many years
of struggling effort.
Yet the leaders of the Democratic
party had the effrontery to offer as
| the principal speaker at the banquet of
It's best known organization a gen.
tleman who Seeks to bring about such
a state of affairs solely to crafty per-
sonal ends, with absolutely no consid-
GRAFTON whatever for the prosperity of
Maine, the success of its industries or
the greatest good to the greatest num-
Der of it's citizens.