Manchester Democrat., 1911-02-08
SPECIAL WASHINGTON COR.
REsPoNDENcE.
By Clyde H. TaYenner

By Clyde H. Tavenner
If President Taft really desires
Canadian reciprocity, and there now
appears to be no reason to doubt his
good faith, he can bring it about
very easily.
All the president has to do is to
call an extra session of congress, to
convene after the present session.
adjourns March A, and the new dem
ocratic house will put the presidents
plan through with very little delay,
This is how the democrats fesl
about the matter. The proposed
agreement has several defects, and
at least one bad Joker, but the idea
embodied is democratic doctrine pure
and simple. A democratic house
would approve the plan in q hurry if
given an opportunity.
| The presidents reciprocity pro-
gram is dead SO far as this session
of congress is concerned. Therefore
the big question now is: Will the
president call an extra session? The
answer depends, of course, on how
determined the president is upon
having his plan put into effect. The
general opinion among congressman
seems to be that Mr.. Taft will not
| call an extra session. 1t is not GER
tain that he will not, however.
There is at least one joker in the
Canadian reciprocity agreement sub
mitted by the president declared
Henry T. Rainey Of Illinois, one of
the members of the new committee
on ways and means. The public is
led to believe that if the, agree
ment goes into effect. the people of
the United States will have free lum-
her. Not SO. The agreement pro-
vides that lumber shall go on the
free list providing neither country
has an export duty on lumber. Now
there is small tract Of what is
known as the Crown lands in Can
ada, and all lumber shipped out of
these forests must pay an + export
tax. This means tina. the people OF
this country would not get free lum-
ber.
'If the president desires Canadian
reciprocity, the democrats will do
their part toward giving it to him il
he will call an extra session. We
will call an extra session. We will
get around the lumber joker by plac-
ing lumber, wood pulp and print pa
per on the free list. This will take
the sting out of the joker and render
it powerless."
A second weak feature of the pres
dents submitted reciprocal agree
ment is that it places cattle and
sheep upon the free list, but leaves
dressed meats of all kinds upon the
dutiable list for the benefit OF the
meat packers trust. The democrat
ic party will remove the duties from
both the animals and the dressed
products, and they will make this
removal apply not only to Canada,
but to Mexico and South America and
every other country from which the
United States can obtain food sup
plies at less than their present cost.
The same course will be pursued
with regard to all the other articles
| affected by the agreement. The dem
ocrats of the House will make them
free not only If they come from Cam
ada, but if they come from anywhere
else. They will do this with all food
products, with timber and lumber,
wood pulp and paper and all the
products of the natural resources
which have been SO nearly exhausted
| in the United States.
Senate Trying to Dodge.
The senate is trying to dodge a
vote on the report of the elections
committee which vindicated Lorimer.
The corporation servers who are
bent upon retaining Lorimer in the
senate evidently believe that If they
can only have vote postponed until
the next session of Congress the
public will forget about it, or at least
lose interest, and Lorimer may be
saved. The reactionary leaders of
the senate are not only trying to
prevent a vote on the Lorimer mat
ter, but they are obstructing in ev-
cry way possible the resolution pro-
viding for the election of senators by
the direct vote Of the peop'e. Car
ter Of Montana is one of the stand
patters in charge of the policy of
obstruction. In the proceedings of
the senate day by day there is being
demonstrated the folly of permitting
congressman to make laws for the
people after they have been repudiat-
ed by the voters. The most active
obstructionists in the body are men
who have been defeated. They have
no fear of consequences to them
selves from any course they may
pursue, In the House conditions are
much the same. The reports of the
Ballinger investigation have been
sidetracked, and it has been found
necessary to introduce a resolution
providing for an investigation as to
the whereabouts of the reports.
cummins Fights Ship Subsidy.
Protesting against the Taft-Humph-
rey $4,OOO,000 ship subsidy grab bill,
Senator Cummins Of Iowa character
lied it as an attempt to worm a
little money out Of the treasury Of
the United States. paid, Of course, BY