Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-12

Does reciprocity mean annexation
That is the question asked of the voters
in Canada in this exciting campaign. IL
a majority of them can be convinced that
this question can be answered In the al
frmatiye. then the conservatives VIII
win the Iaurier government Will he ae-
feated, the reciprocity pact will faii' ana
the maple leaf forever. For IL Is as
,ertain as anything in politics can ne
certain that the people of Canada do not
desire annexation to the United states
Neither this fact nor the reasons set for
ward in support of this attitude may be
construed as fIaiterng 10 American pride.
but the fact remains.
ON the other hand an overwhelming
majority OF the people Of Canada have
believed for several generations that
reciprocity with the United States would
I've A good thing. The great tory leader.
Sir John Macdonald, and the great Grit
leader. George Brown, both taught the
fathers OF this generation that reciprocity
was good. The present leaders of both
parties have praised 1t as something most
desirable. Now comes the time when the
leaders OF one party are forced, for varl-
Gus and sundry reasons, to oppose reel
procity. And since by their own mouths
they have proved it to be fiscally adj
vantaesous and economically sound they
are compelled 10 Fr-G some eXtrdneOuS
reason for their opposition.
Hence the annexation bogie. Mr.. Bor-
den and the other responsible leaders of
the opposition are not willing to say in,
so many words that reciprocity means
annexation. They leave that for their
supporting press and for their less promi-
nent lieutenants. But Mr.. Borden frankly
bases his opposition to reciprocity rather
upon political than economic grounds.
In his campaign speeches Mr. Borden
has said repeatedly that the economic
side of the reel
"Swap Silken Flag procity question
for Cotton Rag7" n no,tance than ',n
the consideration of its effect on Can
ada's freedom and the British connec-
ton. And" he said. IF we submit our
selves TO commercial vassaage with the
United States any man can know what
the result will be- 1t is not a far cry
from this dgnihed statement to the wild
passion of the campaign versicle:
Would YOU swap a silken flag
For a spangled cotton rag?'
The same sentiment underlies both
The conservative campaign against rec-
procity is based upon persuading the
people that reciprocity means commercial
union, financial absorption and finally
political annexation of Canada by the
United States. The conservatives back
up these statements with liberal quota
tions from eminent Americans-President
Taft. Speaker Clark and others.
In his message to Congress January
2s. and in speech in New York April
-, President Taft gave utterance TO sem
fences much quoted by conservatives in
the Canadian campaign, albeit quoted en-
tfrely out OF their context and distorted
to mean something that President Taft
had no intention of saying. The Presi-
dent was discussing the growth of the
idea of British imperial tariff system,
an alfred zollverein, and declared that if
the United States was not to he shut
off from Canada by this imperial tariff
system II must act now. words to
that effect. His position was agreed to
at the time by most of those who ia
vored his reciprocity ideas. although
some persons thought that the imminence
of the British imperial tariff system
might have been exaggerated in his mind.
Nobody at the time credited him with
designs upon the independence of Canada.
In the message Mr.. Taft said; They
the Canadians) are coming to the part
Ing of the ways In the speech he said:
1.-The bond uniting the Dominion with the
mother country is light and almost inn
perceptible." Both times he was talking
Of the tariff. and the tariff only.
These statements of the President are
used in every conservative speech. are
kept standing
Speech by Taft in many anti
Used by Opposition newsppneps ans
are used more generally. strange as it
may seem. to bolster up the annexation
bogie than even Champ Clark's boldly
expressed hope that the Stars and Stripes
might one day wave over all the terri
tory from Mexico to the north pole
For example. in a speech delivered at
Montreal, Mr.. Borden, after saving the
economic question in the reciprocity is
sue was of secondary Importance. de-
cared:
IF we enter upon this treaty we shall
not do so without warning. The Presi-
dent of the United States has made that
plain. | do not think the ruler of a
friendly people ever addressed such a