The Washington times., 1911-09-22
q. TAFT DEFEAT IN
CANADA TO BEAR
POLITICAL FRUIT
Rejection Of Reciprocity
Leaves Trail Of Party
r. Disruption.
PRESIDENTS PLEDGE
ON REVISION FAILS
Attempt To Square" Himself Is
Lost, Though Party Was
Split BY Fight.

The overwhelming defeat Of reci-
procity in Canada's election is the big
gest fact that has been projected into
the United States political situation
since the Republican defeat in the Con-
gressional election of 1910.
President Taft was elected on a pledge
of revising the tariff downward. He
failed to dk that. and by way of ''squar-
ing" himself with the country, nego-
tlated the reciprocity treaty.
That treaty served 10 split his own
party wider than the tariff session had
split it.
Now Canada rejects the treaty, so that
Mr.. Taft is left with a sadly dismem-
bered party on his hands and no assets
to Offset that liability.
Reverses Prediction.
It is too early for an appraisal Of
political effects in detail. So conf
dent were most observers of a reci-
procity victory, that Mr.. Taft himself.
yesterday afternoon INDUCED some re-
marks IN his speech, based on the as
sumption that a few more hours would
end the campaign in Canada with an
Endorsement of the pact. He predicted
that by the election in 1912, reciprocity
would so far have disproved. by its
operations, the forebodings of its oppOn-
ents that 1t would not be discussed at
all.
The President was not alone in this
confidence about the result. The Cana
dian Liberals made claims of a larger
majority than was expected by the
Conservatives. The closing days of the
campaign were alleged to have develop
ed a swing toward the pact.
The landslide against the pact can
rot but give Americans a shock, be-
cause the result manifestiy Represents
ballot-bOX crystalliZa ZION of the Cana
dian prejudice against the United
States. That the annexation bogie, the
old wives story of a plot of the Ameri-
can trusts to subjugate Canad1 and loot
II of It's natural resources for their
benefit, could have received the serious
consideration that the voters gave it. is
proof that Canadians entertain a preju-
dice that Americans were not prepa red
10 see uncovered.
Bitterness Is Keen.
The EXTREMIST appeals which have
marked political campaigns in this coun-
try in the last generation, were modest
and reasonable compared to the bitter
ness of the conservative assaults which
are now shown to have precipitated
Canadian hatred and fears into votes
against closer relations with this coun-
try.
Political results in the United States
must necessarily be A matter of con-
lecture for some time. The surprise x
so great that ii will be Fec essary for
political consideration to lCadjust it.
self to a realization of what has hap
pened. The one thing that seems GER
tain is that President Taft must stand
before the country with one more fail
ure to his credit. That he could not
possibly influence the result in Canada
will make little difference. That he
carried his pact through a generally un-
friendly Congress, Will be of small bene-
fit to him now. Nothing succeeds like
successor fails harder than failure.
Fail to Produce.
With the county bent on tariff re-
vision, and with the high cost of Hv-
ing making the demand increasingly
acute for years past, Mr.. Taft failed
10 produce a revision that satisfied the
country. Right or wrong. the vast ma
Sority of revision advocates consider
the Aldrich-Smoot bill a betrayal Of
the country. That was proved by the
election results of a year ago.
Reciprocity held promise of some eff
feet on the .ost of living Doubtless
that effect was much overestimated;
HIT the consuming masses in the great
ccntcrs wanted it tried, and would have
given a certain credit to the Admiuis-
tratior had il carried.
The President thus stands in the posi-
ton of having offended the aGrarian
element by failing to revise the tariff
and by trying to deprive agriculture of
its share of protection; while he has
diSaffected the industrial elements by
falling In the project which they hoped
would reduce the cost of living.
With reciprocity out of the way, the
tariff issue direct will be more insistent
than ever and on this the Dem 0CratS
will press their claim to national con-
, troll. Progressive Republicans, who are
making a determined fight against the
denomination of President Taft, will re-
doJLle their activities. They declare
today that with one more gigantic fail
ure marked up against Mr.. TAFT, their
appeal to the country will he more ef-
fective than ever before
Failure Now Predicted.
Indeed, possibility of the Presidents
defeat for denomination is considered
BY his Republican opposition to be
greatly increased. They claim that the
record of failure is now complete: that
a four-year Administration which
opened with high hopes and expansive
PiO4iiieSS VIII SiOSC WIFI oiiioSt ho'hIiS
achieved, and that the country will
surely defeat Taft If he is renominated.
Taking this as now certain, they in
sist that the cool-headed, calculating
leadership of the Republican party will
revolt against nominating a man fore
doomed to defeat; that the ma chine.
ruled States of the East and the ref.
eree-governed delegations from the
I South are already showing signs of
breaking away and seeking a leadership
that will hold some hope Of success.
Severe Earthquake