Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-07-27
ENTITLED 70 A FAIR TRIAL.

The Canadian reciprocity measure
has now passed both houses OF con
gress and the president will sign II
this week. It carried in both the house
and senate by big majorittes, mem
bers Of both parties voting for 1t.
Reciprocity with Canada has been
3 subject Of more or less discussion FOL
many years. The two government
have In times past had to some exten,
reciprocal relations through agree
ments that have been automatically
discontinued by their own terms.
The present bill is the result Of agi
tation begun since the enactment OF
the Dingiey tariff bill. For the past
seven years there has been an effort
toward Canadian reciprocity The
most persistent demand for such q
measure has come from the middle
west and much of 1t from Iowa.
Senator Cummins in 1904, when
governor, recommended it in the
strongest language he could use and
said 1t would not hurt the Iowa farmer
II that was true then, 1t Is true now.
But the strange feature OF the sltua'
ton now is that some of these public
speakers who were the loudest IN
working up sentiment for it, and agi-
tattng the public mind in that direc.
ton, at the eleventh hour turned
against their own child and tried to
kick him out the back door. However,
the neighbors, who up to that time had
not taken much interest In the matter,
now saw that the offspring was about
to become an orphan, suddenly took
hand in the matter, and said to the
politicians who were turning somer-
saults: 1--WE thought you.were sincere
In what you were saying about your
child, but 1t seems you are not. But
as you. have worked up lot OF In
terest in regard to what his future
mtxht be. we don't propose to let you
throttle him. We will take charge OF
him, set him up in business. give him
a fair and open opportunity to see
what he can do. If he succeeds, he Will
be q help to all of us, and Il he falls,
it Will demonstrate that he fs no good.
But now that he is here, he Is en-
titled to9a fair chance"
That as we see it is about the situa-
ton. We do not feel that it will make
any great difference in the price OF
products in Iowa to either the pro-
Queer or consumer.
However, the proper plan now Is to
give 1t fair and impartial trial. 1t IS
now the duty of every citizen to put
his shoulder to the wheel and do all
he can to insist upon the strict and
full observance and of all features OF
this measure It should be put into
fullest force and effect possible with
out prejudice for or against 1t, and
fair and honest effort made by both
countries to transact as much business
as possible under 1t. That is the only
way to learn whether its effect will
be good or bad: There should not be
any shooting in the rear In this mat
ter. 1T is the law-0r soon Will be II
canada acts favorably toward it--and
the only fair way to. do Is give 1t an
impartial trial, and II 1t is bad, 1t will
then be done away with. II it is talked
against and fought and only gets hall
a trial, it will always be q subject for
argument and discussion and never
settled.
It should be tried out fully and COM
pletely-then it will be out of the way
as an issue-if it results in good. 1t
will become fixed policy, and II 1t IS
had. it can be done away with. With
q fair trial it will be settled one way
or the other-if it is handicapped by
campaign against it while 1t is being
tried. it will still be a subject for agi-
tation and time wasting argument
We've got it-now try it out.