Omaha daily bee., 1911-06-05
OUTLINES OPPONENTS METHODS
Scores New York Firm Acting 0sten-
sibly for National Grange.
SPEECH CONSIDERED IMPORTANT
Position as to Trade with Canada is
Fully Outlined.
FARMERS WOULD NOT BE HURT
shows what Has Been Accom- plishcd
by Reduction Of Duties In Trading
with Cuba, Trade Having
Greatly Increased.

CHICAGO. June 4--CSpccial Telegrom ~
President Taft's reciprocity speech. climax
Of his days crowded program and the oh
ject Of his visit to Chicago, was delivered
last night before an audience. admitted nv
ticket only, that crowded Orchestra hat
His hearers, among whom were many wo-
men, were strenuously enthusiastic and
checred every strong point in favor Of the
proposed treaty with Canada Hundreds
were turned away after thcy had come In
the hope that some Of the reserved seats
might he available for the general public.
The address OF President Taft ended the
last Of three public sessions OF the Caund-
ian reciprocity conference held during the
day under the auspices Of the Western
Economic society.
One OF the hits in the executives opening
remarks at Orchestra hall was a frank ex-
planation Of why tho treaty had come to
congress as completed document hy the
State department" in the words of critics.
instead Of being framed after consultation
with members Of the house or senate.
Had there been such a series OF confer
ences. Mr.. Taft said. the treatvs draft
would have been the target for sugges-
tions and objections such as are showered
upon tariff bill into which each federal
lawmaker attempts 70 inject some feature
Of benefit 10 his particular district Al
this log rolling. the president said. had
been eliminated by presenting the treaty
in ''predigested' form There was a COM
bination Of laughter and applause as tho
speaker told this why and how" Of the
! treaty's early history
''Wndes Into" Critics.
That the president had come 10 speak
words of meaning plain to the citizen who
reads even as he runs was indicated when
he answered the question, Whence comes
the opposition
If there were any in the audience who
did not agree with President Taft their
antipathy was not on display. When the
| executives gentle humor. HIS own broad
smile it's efficient aid. illustrated his logic
the smiles were as general as the applause
at bis oretoricaI climaxes
Mr.. Taft declared that the principal oppo-
sitfon 20 the reciprocity agreement came
not from the farmer. but from the amber
! trust and from American manufacturers OF
! print paper
| In one of the most comprehensive ad-
dresses that he has ever made on the sub
ject the president outlined some of the
| methods employed by the opponents OF
reciprocity, practically told the farmers
that they were being "buncoed" by special
interests and said that the fate OF the
! agreement rested not so much with the
/ United states as with the people Of the
I country
"If the farmer and the country at large"
he said, could be brought 10 understand
! that this treaty is in the interest of tho
/ majority of the people, ] would not fear
the vote in the senate"
Reveals OppOsItIon's Motives.
The president was not sparing of his
words He told the reasons for the opposi-
ton TO the treaty by the lumber trust and
! by the paper manufacturers, and without
using names scored New York firm. some
Of whose members recently appeared at
the hearings before the senate finance COM
mittee in Washington, ostensibly in behalf
of the National Grange and objected to
the enactment Of the agreement.
In spite OF the forces that are arrayed
against It, the president expressed the be-
lief that the agreement would become
law.
The bill" he said, will pass II it
passes at all, because of the force OF public
opinion In It's favor
Three kinds of Opposition.
From what source does the opposition
proceed? In the first place 1t comes from
! two classes Of the business interests OF
| the country, those that own and control
the lumber supply Of the United States and
| those engaged in the manufacture of print
paper and of whom the largest manufac-
| turers own much of the spruce wood supply
of the United States from which print
1 paper is made.
The third class opposed 20 the treaty
are those who claim to represent the farm
ers and agricultural interests Of the coun-
| try.
In the consideration of these three
| classes OF opponents TO the treaty l should
| premise that one Of the great objects of
ber is Gutiable at t.25. Under the reci-
| procity agreement that duty Is reno, ed
! ! submit that as lumber Is essential 10 al
classes. including farmers and merchants.
as the price has gone far beyond what IL
ever was in the past and as our supply
| Is being exhausted, we ought, when we
! can, to enlarge the sources from which
| our people may secure II at reasonable
| prices. The report OF the chief Of the bu-
reau Of corporations shows that the con-
troll Of lumber in the United States is In
comparatively few hands and that they
are so friendly TO each other that the
possibility Of a monopoly is neither remote
| nor improbable unless We bring T. tho