The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-05-09
TAFT NOT PLAYING
 POLITICS WITH THE RECIPROCITY BILL
President Answers Grange
 Delegations Objections By Very Plain Talk
WOULD BE SORRY TO
 LOSE FARMERS VOTE
But Nevertheless He Stands Solid for Reciprocity and Has No Ex- cuses to Offer-Commit-
 tee Hears Objections

tee Hears Objections
 Washington, May s-President Taft in- dulged in some plain talk today in ex- plaining to 25 members of the National Grange that he does not intend to play politics with the Canadian agreement, even if the enactment of that measure by Congress costs him the farmer vote. The President told his visitors bluntly he was sorry to hear that republican farmers would desert the party If the agreement goes through, but fear of such desertlop would not change his conviction as to tho wisdom of such legislation. He said he believed reciprocity to be the best thing for the whole country and that he did not intend to argue it.
 N P Holt, spokesman for the farmers, intimated strongly that the farmer does not like reciprocity and that republican votes are likely to be lost if it is passed. If reciprocity goes through" said he, ''it means we must take less for our wheat and less for our products and that means halt in the improvement of our farms dIlu III t1e cuuCdllOii Ol obi ShliNl OiA. III the past the farmers of states along the border have been the backbone of repub- lican protection. You could count on these people every time. If this measure goes through it will discriminate against our markets and Canada will get the benefit; it will make it harder for us to get dollar. No President ever com- manded the faith of the farm people in times past more than you, and I ask you whether you do not think we will suffer if we are put on a trade basis7'
 Certainly" said the President, 'I have 10 disposition to interfere with the prop erty of those who make up the bone and sinew of our population, the farmers, and I am convinced that I am in no way in- terferring with it. It does not last longer than either side desires it to last. I am convinced that after it has been given one years trial, neither side will think of reversing 1t. That is my conviction; cannot go into an argument.
 ss'Yon say ,t,Yte republican, farmers a3H going to desert us if we put that through. am very sorry if that is to be the case, because I have personal liking for the lGPuDilCdh JuSh iAtiC bAoA stronger than for the democratic farmers, although they arc all citizens of the United States.
 Has Deep Conviction
 But my conviction with respect to the advantage to this treaty Is very deep. So far as the effect of this on. my personal political fortunes 1t ought ;rH nd in fuence me in the slightest. l believe this treaty to be the best thing for the whole country because l believe 1t Is contrary to nature, 1t Is flying in the face of Providence. to put an arti- fcial wall like that between this coun- try and Canada, and not get the ben eft that will inure to peoples of the same traditions. the same language and practically with the same character of labor. If we take down that wall we will benefit by 1t for we shall sell mora agricultural products to Canada than she will sell to us. We do now and we shall sell her even more after the treaty goes into effect. That is my judg- m ent. I am not arguing-1 am merely stating my conclusions. If I did not believe this I should not have taken the responsibility of ping what have done to put this reciprocity through. I am willing to abide by the judgment of history-the Judgment that will come after the event. When you gen lieve you, as fair-minded men, will admit you have been wrong in your fears and that l have been right"
 Farmers from the Canadian border states supported by farmers from states farther removed from the inter- national boundary made their protest today to the Senate finance committee t,,a ha raptnrOpjtu hil1 They were preceded by delegation of manufacturers of book paper who like wise objected to the bill. Others will appear tomorrow.
 George Sullivan, representing a Phil adelphia company, asserted that in the vast wood supply and cheap water power in Canada, coupled with advan- tases in the duty on raw material, Can adian book paper manufacturers could make their product at s7 a ton less than Americans He declared the agree nent would put the American book paper manufacturers out of business. Mir Sullivan said there were 46 book paper mills in the United States with 3O 900 employees. The only book paper America exports is Bible paper.
 Representatives of farmers from 13 to IA states followed the book paper manufacturers In protest against the bill Former Governor Bacheldor of New Hampshire, master of the Ma tional Grange, denounced the bill as a violation of the pledge of the repub- lican national platform of 1908 to main tain protection to the country's indus tries equal to the difference in the cost of production at home and abroad.
 Are cattle, sheep and hogs, whea oats butter eggs and potatoes con trolled by trusts?" asked MT Bacheldor of the democratic senators as he re- ferred to the democratic platform "If not, why not p,-t- them on the free list instead of a revenue basis, as your platform demands?'
 "The fact that so-called farmers free list bill has been introduced" he said, was an admission that the farm CT would be injured"