The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1911-09-09

That President Taft's forthcoming
Western tour will be a frost" is the
prediction freely INDUCED by persons
who have kept in touch with the re-
cent experiences of Secretary Wilson
and Congressman Norris. at the Me-
braska State fair. =
The Nebraska fair incident is set
down as more distinctly indicative Of
Western sentiment toward the Presi-
dent than anything that has taken
place since the swing around the cir
Gle was announced. On the strength
of reports that have come from the
Wilson Norris debate, the anti-Taft
organization has greatly. stiffened its
claim of carrying Nebraska for La
Toilette, and Administration circles
are correspondingly depressed.
Secretary Wilson was invited to
make a speech on reciprocity, on the
afternoon of September 5. President
Taft desired him to accept, and he
did. Thereupon the anti-Taft people
in Nebraska raised a huge ruction.
They didn't propose to attend the fair
If 1t was to be made a. Taft rally, and
said so. The management thereupon
invited Senator La Toilette to come
and speak the day following Wilson;
La Toilette was unable to do so, and
Representative Norris was selected az
the anti-Administratton, antt-reciproclty
spokesman. He had but recently de-
clared for La Toilette for President,
and assumed the leadership in the fight
to get Nebraska's delegation for the
Wisconsin man. Moreover, Norris had
announced himself a candidate for the
Senate against Senator Norris Brown
who is regarded as the Taft candidate
Intense Interest.
in the
demonstration OF public sentiment
which should be drawn forth by the
Wilson and Norris meetings; and the
results have been everything that the
progressives hoped, and much more
than they expected. They have insist
ed that this Nebraska debate would
sound the keynote OF Western opinion.
and forecast the reception to be given
the President when he goes stumptng
the West with his program OF DRIVING
the progressives out OF the party IN line
with the declaration of the Hamilton
speech.
policies was displayed with such Bit
terness and persistence as to make
the Wilson meeting a distinct failure.
This Is conceded by the Lincoln journal.
which, though mildly progressive, has
been very friendly to the Administra-
scribes Secretary Wilson's reception
What had been expected to be one
" the big drawing cards Of the Rll
State fair did not prove to be such.
This was the appearance of Secretary
James Wilson, of President Taft's Cabi-
net, in defense of reciprocity. with
Canada. It was not a respectful audi
cnce. Mr.. Wilson took for his subject,
Canadian Reciprocity,s on which many
Ii ~ 30 Cd hoaS
Soon some leather-lunged farmer
shouted:
1--WE don't care about the duty on
corn. What we want to know Is how
1t will affect the wheat market
Just be quiet moment, my friend,
said the speaker in his husky voice. I
am coming to that And he told about
the world market controlling the price
of Canadian wheat as well as that OF
the United States. :. +, .o
years.? shouted the same leather-lung.
In ten years, my friend said the
speaker, you and I may not be here
TO care
"A little later, when he touched on the
lumber schedule in the treaty some one
shouted:
when il is not in condition to- use
Now you have it right" said the
secretary quickly. But you are not
the 10 Ildl. VIC "dhl
lumber to come into this country
undressed so that American labor can
have the benefit And here a burst
of applause greeted his remark.
"One man in the audience shouted,
%. we are not opposed to reciproc-
".Men of your type never are OPP
posed to it. said the Secretary ap-
provingly; whereupon the man finish
"cBut we want it to go all the way
around
Asked For orders
Before he could finish. which end
ed lamely enough, the speaker had to
appeal to the shouting questioners
to let him have the platform only
few minutes longer and he would be
glad to abdicate to any of them. For,
no doubt he added, you can make
better speeches than 1 can"
Such is the description OF the Will
son meeting, as presented by a thor
oughly friendly paper. The follow
ing day Representative Norris ap-
peared in the State fair auditorium,
and a very different scene was pre-
scented. The crowd, instead of being
thusiasm. Norris got an ovation which
was widely interpreted to be the
formal and highly suspicious launch
ing OF his boom for the Senatorship.
While the thousands cheered, Norris
waded into the reciprocity question. He
handled the President, the Secretary OF
Agriculture, and the details Of the
Canadian pact without gloves; and the
more vigorous he was in his structures,
the more the multitude cheered.
Mr.. Norris told his hearers of the
accomplishments in the old
Cannon fight, In which he was the
leader, and for which Nebraska has