Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-02-16
The Status Of Reciprocity.

iof Maine on reciprocity, from itS Soiiu
Representation in Congress to the
smallest farmer in the back lots. The
passage OF the measure in the Nation
al House. Tuesday, by a vote of III to
92. found the Maine delegation solidl"
against 1t They responded to scores
of protests from the farmers of the
rinc Tree State and not single word
fvorins the measure has come to
fthem from their constituents,
! Whatever this reciprocity arrange
tmcnt may mean to other sections of
1.-The country, Maine, as a State of pre-
dominant farming interests. believes
III would b. disastrous to her welfare.
lone after another the Oranges have
tadopted resolutions against the meas
lure and have forwarded them to sena-
TORS, representatives and the Presl-
dent. There has been some division
lamong the Grange leaders. but all
recognize the fact that it is good
democratic policy 10 favor the meas
lure. At a caucus Of National House
democrats 20 favored the reciprocity
IaSrecment and 80 opposed it. Since
that time political consistency has Won
Them over until. in the House vote,
tTuesday, only five Democrats voted
against reciprocity. while l43 voted for
lit They see in 1t the doom oi the
protectionist. and leading Republican
opponents OF reciprocity recognize the
validity OF the Democratic optimism.
Representative Dalzell. who helped
frame the Dngley tariff law, in Bit
ter speech opposing the measure.
Tuesday afternoon, foretold the pas
the Republican who voted Tor it
marched under a Democratic banner.
The opposition OF the Oranges OF
the country fairly voices the stand of
the farmers of Maine. namely. that
the agreement is unfair to the farmers
of the United States. who ask for
nothing but fair deal-"equal pro-
lection for all classes and interests"
The farmers claim that they are being
ton in the face of the clamor for re-
vision of the tariff downward; that
this proposed legislation is uncalled
for by the great body Of the people,
and that it is Republican. They
declare il to be an abandonment OF the
policy of protection and an cspofsal
of the doctrine of free trade. u viola
ton of the history. precedents and
pledges of the Republican party; in
against the American
The farming interests OF Maine are
opposed to the terms of this reciproe-
ity arrangement because they believe
that it gives protection to all manu-
factured products, such as that of the
beef trust" and forces free trade on
the products of the farmer. They be-
lieve that the farmer is being com
PEELED to pay from As to 60 per cent.
duties on things they have to buy and
at the same time is subjected to free
trade competition in farm products
which can be produced more cheaply
in Canada than in this country. They
realize that the price of farm land is
much lower in Canada than in the
United States; that the wages of
Canadian farm labor are much lower
han on this side of the line: that the
Canadian farmer buys his manufac-
.ured articles cheaper: that the farm
ands OF Canada are mostly Tirgin
soil. requiring less fertilizer, while the
Maine farmer is buying immense |
quantities of fertilizer.
AZ this stage and with this UNDER
standing Of conditions and sentiment, |
the reciprocity agreement goes to the |
United States Senate. The law
makers and the country know that the |
President is anxiously awaiting to al
llX MS signature 10 tIIc iIltdSule tllc
hour it passes the highest Legislative
body. 1t has passed the House by a
large majority and now only the Sem
ate stands between the farmer and
what he believes to be disastrous
legislation. Senators Frye and Hale
will oppose it TO the last. The presi-
dent has served notice that the Sen
ate must act one way or the other or
be recalled in extraordinary session.
No resolutions favorins the measure
are reaching the lawmaking body; it
is being Hooded by protest. VIII the
Senate pass it? The country awaits
in deep anxiety.