The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1911-04-27
reciprocity defenders.

9Th, That the cost of the difference
between the high price the American
farmer gets for his farm products ar
against the low price the Canadian
farmer gets for his is not because Of
protection, but by reason of the e..
cessive freight rates charged by rail
roads operating in Canada. When the
reciprocity advocate reaches this
stage OF the discussion, he jumps up
and down, smites his fists and cracks
his heels together. I have on my
desk and before me a letter from the
railroad agent at Estevan, Sask., dat
ed April 10, 1911, in which he states
freight rates per one hundred pounds
on wheat, Winnipeg, Port Arthur or
Duluth, is Is cents. From Minot to
Duluth, one hundred pounds, II certs
Freight rate from Estevan to the same
point on barley and fax would be u
cents, while from Minot on a like num-
Der of pounds would be exactly the
same and still the Canadian land pro
motors yell-excessive freight rates
and not protection makes the differ
ence in the price the American farm
er receives on his fax, wheat, barley
and other products.
9Th, That the tariff of 30 cents on
wheat, 30 cents on flax and Is cents
on barley per bushel does not protect
the American farmer. During the
month of January, 1911, the America
farmer at Portal sold his wheat at an
average price of 10 cents more per
bushel than the Canadian farmer in
North Portal, single street dividing
the American elevator and the Cana
dian elevator. The American farmer
received for his fax A cents more
per bushel than the Canadian receiv-
ed and 26 cents more per bushel for
his barley than did the Canadian
farmer. The price for one day, name
ly, Dec. 81, 1910, were as follows:
American wheat, sc cents; Canadian
wheat, Is cents; American barley, Sc
cents; Canadian barley, 35 cents;
American fax, 1898; Canadian flax,
$1.S9. The freight rates to Mime
apolis, Duluth, Port Royal and Winni-
peg are the same on wheat, barley
and fax of like quality and grade.
This same difference in price with
equal freight rates will hold good at
any one of the half dozen ports of
entry bordering on this state. Does
the argument of the friends of re-
ciprocity stand up under these ex1s-.
ing facts?
7th, That it is good Republican doct-
rine-Garfield, Blaine and Mckinley
preached it years ago. This same
statement, like many others made by
the friends OF reciprocity, would be
also interesting if it was historically
true, but it isn't. Let me quote here
for the Information of the reciprocity
friends from McKinley's 1897 inaug-
ural address in which he said: THE
end in view should always be to open
ing of new markets for the products
of our country by granting conces
scns to the products of other lands
that we need and cannot produce our
selves" That was McKinley's
idea of reciprocity and every in
telligent student of the political
history of our country knows
it. Garfield and Blaine's idea
was reciprocity of nome competing artf-
les and when applied would be like
this, Brazil grows coffee, but makes
no machinery; we make machinery
but cannot grow coffee. She needs
the fabrics of our factories and the
machinery of our FORCES, and we need
the fruits of her tropical soil. We
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