The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-02-27
Reciprocity with Canada.

RECIPROCITY Win Ianadd.
The burning question just now in three
lands, the United States, Canada, and
England, is the proposed reciprocity
agreement between this country and the
dominion and the issue is far reaching.
1t would be folly to deny that the cleo
tions Of last fall, which resulted in the
change Of power in the incoming House
from Republican to Democratic hands,
turned in the greatest degree upon the
tariff, whose schedules filled the people
with disgust and anger. Downward re-
vision was what they wanted and were
promised citrus fruit was what they
got, but they returned it with telling
effect to the G. O. P. Eugene Foss,
champion Of reciprocity, sent the cold
shivers down the backs OF the standpat-
tiers by talking his reciprocity-way into
Congress from Massachusetts, district
which rivaled this state in its Republi-
can rockribbedness.
Vermont was early in the fray with
a plank favoring downward revision and
reciprocity in the platform of each of
the major political parties. The people
were demanding larger opportunity
in the struggle for existence. 1t would
seem Co be wholly within the range of
reason for one to expect that the Yer
mont delegation in Washington could
and should have accurate knowledge of
the desires of the state, and it appears
equally rea sonable that consistency
would guide them to seek 10 obtain that
which their constituents desired. Reel
procity, however, is in i'll favor with
Vermont in the nations capital, and
Senators Page and Dillingham; are char
acterized in press dispatches as opposed
to the agreement.
But why is this opposition to the rati-
tication of the agreement Some farm
ers labor under the belief that our mar
kets would be overrun with Canadian
produce, entirely ignoring the fact that
Canada is the greater purchaser They
appear to think that Canadians are 60
ing 70 stop eating that they may glut
the market in this country Canada's
yearly surplus could not feed New York
City for week But the farmer alone
has no right to expect the entire coun-
try to bend the knee to him. How
about the sixty millions OF our popula
ton whose life Is constant struggle
to make both ends meets Are they
not worthy OF conscientious Have they
not the greatest right to demand con.
siderstiong Is il not from them, rather
than from the class with surplus wealth,
that the government draws its means
of support Are they not the greatest
sufferers under the curse of indirect tax
alton that an ultra high tariff repre-
sentsl Is their demand that the 20
cents bushel duty on wheat, the Sl.50
a barrel duty on -four, the six cents
a pound duty on butter, the Is cents
bushel on potatoes the five cents g
dozen duty on eggs, be removed or low
cred, a menace to the stability of the
Is il criminal for them
to desire that the gap between them
and the ultra rich be closed 70 the eX-
tent that they may have on their tables
the necessities Of life without paying
tribute to ignorance and avarieey
For ignorance and avariee are respon-
sible for the tariff inequities that in
flict their injustice on the sixty mil.
lions of toilers, 1t is an economic law
that the price OF a commodity is given
its lowest limit at a price which will
give the most ignorant, the most waste
full producer, a living return. How does
this affect the cost Of food stuffsg Just
this way. If an unprogressive farmer
averages but 80 bushels Of corn to the
acre when it is possible to produce over
300 bushels, the consumer pays a liv-
ing return TO the farmer of SO bushels
and the toilers pay for their ignorance.
Ayarice comes from the other side, from
the rich with their protected trusts.
who make more than they can spend
and who spend in year more than the
toiler can make in a lifetime
The Republican party is face to face
with serious condition. Are the
pledges made to the sixty million toll
ers to be broken, is wealth to continue
to crush and squeeze poverty. or is prom
se to be honored and faith kept The
fate Of the osan.fy il in the hands Of
the sixty millions and some day, unless
change, they will realize this
fact and there will be purging Of the
temple of the money changers. And we
would all Of us prefer evolution to revo-
luton st. Adams Messenger