Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-09

1 states GbItlt Aiilo AiiC Sl1Sli CUM
| petition, while everything that that
farmer raises. except possibly raw cot
| ton will be the subject of export in
/ to Canada
| "The farmers free list, so-called.
/ puts upon the free list a number of
| articles used by Southern farmers on
ly-like cotton bagging and cotton
ties And | have heard 1t suggested
on behalf OF certain senators from
| the southern states. that they could
not vote for reciprocity unless IL was
| linked in some way with the farmers
free list. 1t was said for them that
| if they could count on having the
/ bills come up IN the Senate in the
same way they had come up i'm the
House then they could relieve their
| consciences and justify themselves to
| their constituents by a vote in favor
| OF the farmers free list and free cot
ton Tagging and cotton ties, after the
| reciprocIty bill hal passed. But they
present the proposition that IN the
Senate the situation is different from
| what it was in the House. They say
that the farmers free list has gone
| into the finance committee. a majority
farmers free list, and Will prevent
the bin being reported out to the Sen
ate Ut all. They cannot, therefore,
secure vote on the farmers free list
without voting to put it onto the rec
iprocity bill as an amendment. In
this way they will Justify themselves
to their constituents and vindicate
their conseiences by voting for the
farmers free list at the same time
they vote for reciprocity. They there
fore, propose either before or after
the bill GENES into the Senate - put
an amendment on it with the fainers
free list
The objection to this is-First, that
the farmers free list has no relevancy
at all TO the Canadian reciprocity
agreement because it affects imports
from all the world and is general
tariff revision having nothing what
ever to do with the contract which we
have made with Canada The objec-
tion-Second and the most serious
is that if it is voted onto the reel
proeity agreement, it will drive away
from the support of the reciprocity
agreement a great number of votes,
enough to defeat the agreement. This,
it seems to me ought to prove an in
surmountable objection to voting
free list as an amendment to reciproc-
ity.
Those who are sincerely and earn
es1y in favor of reciprocity and yet
favor the farmers free list ought to be
able TO take some other method of
indicating themselves than to defeat
reciprocity by amending 1t with the
free list. 1t is not seen why they may
not in voting against the free list as
an amendment to reciprocity, explain
their votes sufficiently so their con-
stituents can understand their desire
to adopt reciprocity and secure part of
what they wish without endangering
and losing the whole. If they wish to
make a record it is not understood
why they might not. by moving to
discharge the committee which has the
farmers free list bill under eonsidera-
ton. show by their vote upon the mo-
tien to discharge their approval OF the
bill and their desire for its passage.
In other words, what | am anxious
to do is to secure the aid of you gen.
tlemen interested largely in Southern
industries and having senators in
Congress representing you. to call up
on your senators to act in the most
direct and effective way to secure the
passage of the reciprocity bill and to
assure your senators that they will
not lose standing and that their earn
est and sincere desire to aid the farm
cr by the passage of the farmers free
list will not be questioned because
they refused to vote it onto the reei-
proeity agreement and burden that
agreement in such a way as certainly
to defeat it.
THE truth is the situation in the Sem
ate is one that can be described as call
ing for the bill, the whole bill and moth
ing but the bill. May L not ask you all.
as Americans as Southerners, as South
ern cotton men and as Southern cotton
seed men, to exert yourselves. through
this association and in every other prac-
teal way, to urge upon and to demand of
your senators that if they really favor
reciprocity-as l sincerely believe most
of them do-they shall take the best and
most direct way to secure its passage.
when your association did me the hon
or to invite me to be your guest. you
called upon the senators from the va
rious Southern states to come and urge
acceptance of your invitation. l was
glad to come because another engage
ment in this city would bring me here
during the earlier part of the day and
/ was further glad to come because ! OBJ
serve the influence that you were able
properly to exert over your senators in
Congress-; and / sincerely hoped that I
might direct that influence ip favor of the
passage of measure which | earnestly
favor and which / believe in my heart is
full of benefit to the United States and
all its sections and to Canada and all
her provinces. l hope you will not think
l have abused your hospitality by maxi
ing this appeal My justification for it
is the conviction that / would urge you
to any course better adapted to increase
your present property and to add to the
marvellous progress which the people of
all sections, with gratified and unenvious
eyes, have seen developed in the South"