The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-07-26
PRESENTS A
PUZZLE FOR
POLITICIANS
Many States That We're fol
TAFT In 1908 are Against
Reciprocity
lBx Leased Wire. J

Washington, u. c., July 2b.--Noq
that the reciprocity bah has beef
passed by the senate Republican poi
itcians are wondering what effeci
! 1t will have on the presidential cam
paign next year Few Of them con
cur in the opinion expressed by Chaii
nan Penrose OF the finance com
mittee that the Canadian agreement
| will be merely an incident in the
] contest.
II is conceded by politicians OF
both parties that President .aft has
| tory at the expense Of more than half
| OF his party's representatives in tne
senate The proposed agreement
\ had little sincere support on the Re
publican side II was regarded as
| essentially an administration meas
ure, and an Overwhelming majority
| 'of the Depubfcan senators who
voted for il did so on the grounds
that If It We're defeated by Repub-
lican votes their party would be so
hopelessly divided that Democratic
success next year would be assured,
Each OF the ten states whose senar
tors went solidly against reciprocity
was carried by President Taft In
1908 With two exceptions they
represent the West-Gdaho. Iowa,
Kansas, Minnesota, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming, Yer
mont and New Hampshire. All Of
these states except Vermont are re-
garded as progressive, even New
Hampshire having progressive
sta.e administration.
Only Twelve Taft States
For Reciprocity.
OF the twenty-four state that went
soidy Tor reciprocity. just hiatt
were carl1ed by Taft in 1908 Cali
fornia Connecticut Delaware Indiana,
tlarylaHd, Massachusetts. Missouri,
New Jersey New York. Ohio, Wash
ington and West Virginia Some OF
these statas since have been carried
were divided in the senate on the
vote and eight Of them are Repub-
lican, taking the 1908 election re-
turns as basis
This leaves the president IN the
peculiar position of having only
twelve states out OF thirty that he
carried eolid for reciprocity in the
senate. Politicians. here agree that
reciprocity makes the situation in
the next Republican national con
yention peculiar. The convention
Will be In a dilemma. Confronted
with the almost certain fact that 1t
must renominate Taft 1t also will be
under the shadow OF a tariff meas
ure against which majority Of 1t |
represents his party better than its |
representatives and senator's.
A Reciprocity PLANK
Would BE Opposed.
It Is believed here that any at
.empt to put a pro-reciprocity plank
IN the next Republican platform Will
be bitterly Tough particularly by
he insurgent states. II will be a
lard plank TO write. Perhaps II will
'e compromised By declaration in
ayor OF extending reciprocity beyond
agricultural products. But there are
many Republicans, principally pro
sresslyes, who will never stand on a
flank endorsing the present reciproc-
ty measure and who wall openly re,
)udiate II, unless a marked change
omes Within the next year.
How far tho Democrats win 90 in
making reciprocity one OF their is
ues Is predetermined They are en-
titled to tho credit OF passing hte
lanadian bill On the other hand,
IS distinctly TAFT proposition and
hey can not take IRON the president b
he credit Of having Initiated It and Z
'usbed it through to successful
Nbny Demockats who II
-oted for il are shaky IN support Of '
!, for the Democrats are almost as I
much afflicted with protection com
lunitles as are the Republicans,