Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-07
Editorial Comment


was taken today and the senators vo-
ted their real sentiments not more than
hait dozen would Tote for the treaty.
Ii under these circumstances the trea
~ goes through practically unarcnd
ed, its passage will show that political
organizations and leaders in Congress
have practically dbdicated their func-
uons. In this sense it will lemon
strate total failure of the old idea of
the individual responsibility of each
senator and Representatives Apparent
ly the time has gone by when senator's
could stand up and tell their Legfsla-
lures and their constituents that they
were sent to Washington to act 20 the
best of their ability and knowledge
ard that they should have no other
court to appeal To and be instructed
by than their own intelligence ard their
own conscience. What has brought
about this tremendous change? Moth
ing more nor less than the growth OF
the progressive and representative
movement in this country. a concep-
ton of government that the senator's
ana repl esentatiVeS are there for the
purpose of representing the people who
elected them. This change by which
senators are practically ordered to
take a stand which they seem reluc-
tant to take has come about by reason
of growth of the faith that represen-
tatiVes are meant to represent
Now lie only good reason for hesi-
fancy on the part of senators to vote
for the reciprocity treaty is that 1t is
new thing, 1t has never been passed
upon by any recognized forum or COM
mittee, it violates the fundamental
principles of government, that all tar
lit bills shall originate in the House
and ii is, in it's source at least. dis
trusted by those who cling closely to
precedel.ts and order of procedure
This is the excuse which the old line
senator's the old guard, use for oppo-
sltlon to this measure. The senators
and representatives from the Western
states. who are either an.ago nistic to
1t er reluctant and lukeH arm in it's
support, are urged to take this stand
by reason of their very alleged fear
that their constituents interests Will
he damaged. They assert that the
farmers nave never teen regarded in
tariff bills beyond the small tariff, on
wheat and other products. that their
region has beer Republican through
out its career, that il has furnished
the maJorities necessary to Repuhli-
can success, and that il the Mississippi
Valley. the backbone of the party.
should recant it's Republicdnism there
would be no chance whatever for The
party. There is also the opposition of
senator's representing the Lumber
Trust, out they do tot represent the
owners Of timber land. The political
situation is decidedly mixed, as is seen
IN the election tomorrow in the ninth
Iowa district where the Republican
canaidate for Congress is opposed To-
reciprocity and the Democratic candi-
date is in favor of it,
President Taft saw very clearly that
it was necessary for him to poin, ont
to the Western people the fact that
they would not be injured by the pas
sage of this bill. His reasons were i'm
brief that the price of grain is fixed in
liverpool 1t would make very little
difference to Liverpool whether wheat
came from Canada or the United
states, and for that reason the p.ice
would not be lowered by she entrance
OF any Canadian grain into our mar
nets- On the ether hand. il would re
d very great value to the Canadians
u get their grain to the mills on this
slde OF the line. This is a true ar.ru-
mont within certain limits OF course
IL might be that the large shipments of
canadian grain to MINNEAPOLIS. for OK
ample, would operate to reduce the
price which the North and South Da-
kota wheat shippers would receive at
the mills. Moreover, it has been de-
ciared by former Governor SarIes of
North Dakota that the AfinneapnIis
mills have been using large precen-
tage OF the wheat grown in Kansas
-seofaska' and Iowa for mixed .pur-
LoSes' III order to lower the cost to
t'lcm OF their barrel of -four. With
ifee Canadian wheat they would no;
use a bushel of this winter wheat. in
Juring, as some think, Kansas and Ne
hfdska, by the adoption of his meas
ure more than North Dakota. The
question OF which country would pot
us wheat TO market more quickly
eitnada or our Middle West. ie really
worm considering, and while the price
az Liverpool woull not change t1cre
l1lght be considerable difference at the
minneapolis mills. This is the gist of
tle argument 81 far as the Western
wheat growers are concerned.
The only business in the Fact ~,
seems to be threatened very serio1,s1v IL
eHe gloucester fishing interests and Sen
ator Lodge is undoubtedly in the right
When he declares that our fishermen
would nave 10 compete with a bona fde
SUBSIDIZED industry, and with the aboIi-
. tioh OF the bounty on the Canadian side
the nshlng interests of the two countries
would stand practically an equal show
as ms amendment proposes The farm
efs IN Maine and other parts of Neu
england near the border are also said 10
De hostile to the measure. because tbey
rear that their interests will be leonard
ized. Thus We see the usual local 6hiac-
lions which are urged against e,.arx-
tariff bill e'''''' every
. 1t is of no avail to boot at the Western
farmers Tor their protests They seem to
oe sincere ana, as We have seen there is
force in their argument. One can see too
that the fisheries amendment is a fair
proposition. We cannot see that there is
any amount of treason involved i'm any
senator's trying to put through as an
amendment measure like Senator
Roots which would bring the measure
pack TO Its first draft or Senator
Lodge $, which was designed to correct n