The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-05-11
Is It Good Party Policy?

heosduQua republican,: The Bur
lington Hawk Eye recently sug-
l.gested that Republicans accept
the Canadian reciprocity free-trade
4 pact as the party policy because 1t
emanated from President Taft who
naturally should be Followed as the
i Republican leader. Generally consid,
cred this is consistent proposition;
and generally speaking is good adj
vice. But there are exceptions and
/ certainly we have case at hand now.
When President Taft persistently
and coercively urged couple of years
! ago that hides could be put on the
Tree list with no injury to the produc-
er of hides and with much benefit to
the consumer or user OF manufactur-
ed leather goods, he doubtless thought
he was right. But he was widely
wrong, as time has demon strated.
Farmers get one half less for hides
now than they did before hides were
put on the free list, and there has
been no reduction whatever on manu-
factured leather goods. Hence here
rs pointed instance where the PRO
Queer of a commodity has been injur-
lously bumped by pet theory of the
administration with no consequent.
nenefit,to any one except the protect
ed manufactures of the commodity.
The consumer derived no benefit
not In the least. The President was
mistaken. Would this result tend to
justify the suggestion of the Hawk
Eye that theory advanced by the
President should be accepted as a
party policy?
Just now the law making depart
ment is considering another theory Of
the President, theory of his sprung
upon the country by him evidently
without any consultation with other
members of the party of which he IL
supposed to be the head. not single
statesman of his political faith. so
far as is known. having been advised
With as to the wisdom of such n
course. Is that consistent course for
an executive to pursue? The Presi-
dent is not lawmaker nor should he
try to coerce lawmakers into the en-
actment OF statutes
II this Canadian free-trade pact
does not bump hare the agricultural
industry of this country we shall miss
our guess. and if it does 1t is hardly
likely the Hawk-Eye will insist that
1t should be accepted by Republican
farmers. or endorsed by then, by
their votes. simply because the nom
lnal head of the party forced it upon
theme especially when done through
a special Unnecessary, session of
Democratic congress, and largely
made a law by the votes of an opposi-
ton free-trade party.
If the protective wall between the
United States and Canada has brought
prosperity to the agricultural inte--
ests of this country and not injured or
retarded other industries in the past,
why should it not be allowed TO
stand? Why should it be leveled to
the ground See what it has done
and yet does. We quote from an I'M
controyerted speech of Hon. Louis B.
Hanna, member of congress from
North Dakota, delivered the 18th of
last month and published on page 391
of the Congressional Record of April
20, 1911:
Within the last three months I
have received from farmers and bust
ness men of my state signed protests
exceeding thirty-f1ve hundred in mum
Der, protesting against the ratifica-
ton OF this proposed treaty. The
great majority of these protests have
been signed by farmers themselves,