The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1911-02-17
THE RECIPROCITY AGREEMENT,

Years ago, now many we 90 not
know, the Republican party, to dodge
the attacks made upon it, tariff, urged
reciprocity. Nothing practical was Of
course ever accomplished upon this
line as it would injure the tariff-in-
hGted trusts that controlled 1t. The
revolt of the ninety million people,
who must eat bread and wear clothes,
last fall resulted in reciprocity
agreement being entered into with
Canada and it is now before Con-
gress for its ratification.
Tt seems absurd that there ever
should have been tariff wall raised
between the United States and Can
ada, as ridiculous as the erection of
one between Pennsylvania and Mary
land would BE-. Canada has no
"pauper labor" to be feared,
but it has great forests, and
its lumber we need. We also require
free trade relations with her and
whatever stiles exchange of cOmmo-
dities produced in a cold country with
those produced in warm, is an in
jury. Canada wants our Southern
fruits and early vegetables and we
want her lumber and furs and late
winter apples. So why not exchange
one for the other This is all the
agreement means and is.
The Democratic party in the House
Of Representative supported the
President, who il urging the treaty,
while his own divided. This is sur
prising if the Republican party is
in favor of the masses, as it claims,
and not controlled by the trusts, for
the trusts alone will b. injured BY it.
The press all over the country is
practically without regard to party
utilization, unit in approving of this
trade agreement, even the large pa
pers Of the West and Northwest sup
porting it. The American Sentinel
does not approve of it, however, and
thinks the President did it to put the
Progressive Republicans and the
Democrats in hole Although it il
hard on the president to be accused
Of duplicity, yet we believe he Is
sincere in his efforts to obtain better
conditions in spite of this high au-
thority to the contrary. lit also sees
in this act OF the President an attack
on the farmers, whose welfare we had
oh inf NV he
especial care of the Republican party.
III says
I'VE are waiting to see what some
of the so-called "progressives' or Elm
surgents" are going to do about the
Canadian Reciprocity Agreement, re-
Gently submitted to Congress by the
President The agreement was
framed fer the purpose OF allowing
Canadian wheat and cattle to enter
this country free OF duty, and there
by compete with the products of our
farmers, in order, it is alleged, to re-
duce the cost OF living to the people
OF the cities or the country Manu-
featured goods are not mentioned.
The farmers, and especially the
Changers, are up in arms-and right
fully so-about 1t because they now
see reduction in the price of farm
products but no reduction i'm the price
OF manufactured goods from Canada"
No doubt because Carroll IL an ag-
ricultural county, it likes to hold it
self out as the special champion of
the agriculturist, even If it knows
what 1t advances In not right or true.
Possibly III does mot care to think,
except i'm potato patches and ten acre
fields, but today one must think In
continents, to appreciate the effect Of
conditions, and how, when it is well
known that the price of our wheat
and cattle IL fixed In the Liverpool
market in competition with The
Canadian wheat and cattle, can
taking down the bars effect them
here We sold Canada last year &c.
DOC, 900 worth of corn, she sold US
none. This should cause spasns Of
fright to- the Stand-paIter.
But Id surely was an unintentiOnal
mistake when 1t said that "manufac-
tured goods are not mentioned" in the
agreement. 1t contains about 900
items. and instead of including only
wheat and cattle. ii embraces Ill
food products fresh fruits, vege-
tables and fish OF all kinds The
tariffs on manufactured food products
are mutually reduced, and many
manufactured articles let in free.
4 Canada reduces her rates on farming
\ implements and coal and the United
States reduces iron ore TO no cents
a ton, and lowers the rate on dressed