The Brunswick news. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 1906-2016, 1911-02-08
DEMOCRATS TO SUPPORT 1T.


The democrats of the house eau
cused on the Canadian reciprocity bill
on Monday night and a majoity of the
representatives of the party favored
it, which binds the party to vote for
the bill in the house. The vote in the
caucus was 80 to % and finally on
motion of Speaker-Designate Champ
Clark, of Missouri who was intensely
in favor of the measure, the action
Of the caucus was made unanimous.
Congressman Brantley, of this city,
was opposed to the bill and address
ed the caucus from that point of view.
The News believes, however, with the
majority of the democrats in the
house, that the bill ought to pass. OF
| course the bill is not a democratic
measure, but it does tend to remove
some of the enormous tariffs of the
Payne-Aldrich law, it is bound to
broaden the trade of the United
States with Canada and above all, it
comes nearer meeting the democratic
platform demands on the tariff than
any piece of republican legislation
ever proposed on that subject.
| The strongest opposition to the
measure comes from the farmers in
the north and the west.
| Fearing what they call unfair COM
petition from Canadian farmers, if
the reciprocity bill is passed the hor-
ny-handed tillers of the soil in these
| sections have risen up in wrath to de-
nounce an effort backed by President
Taft, to throw down the bars between
Canada and the United States. and al
low free interchange of agricultural
products. The significance of this bill,
regarded as an entering wedge TO a
general tariff reduction, is emphasized
by the farmers when they say that
they will not consent to its passage
unless corresponding reductions are
made in manufacturing schedules. TO
permit them to hmy manufactured pro-
ducts more cheaply.
The Canadian farmers, they declare,
because of cheaper lands, lower gen.
eral tariff conditions. and preferential
trade arrangements, have everything
to gain and nothing to lose by the
bill. On the other hand, the Ameri-
can farmer, with only a comparative
ly slight tariff protection and high liv-
ing conditions, can not expect to COM
pete with the cheaper Canadian farm
products after the tariff bars are low
cred between Canada ond the United
States, unless there is a correspond
ing reduction on manufactured arti-
Giles. Here is the meat in the cocoa
nut. While the arguments about high
land cost and high labor cost do not
have the force in the south that they
do in the west and north, neverthe-
| less, the attitude of the agricultural
interests is strikingly brought out by
the proposed reciprocity bill, and it
! is shown that, from the farmers
standpoint, at least, a general tariff
reduction is quite satisfactory. With
out doubt an influx of cheaper food
products from Canada would bic bound
to affect food prices in this country,
forcing them down to more reason
able figure. The nation demands
cheaper food products, and if Presi-
dent Taft only sticks to his guns, and
forces the reciprocity bill through.
the pressure which the farmers will
bring for lower manufacturing tar.
if must not be lost sight of by the
people who are fighting for lower liv.
ing prices.
And if lower prices come from this
measure, though proposed by repub
lican president, the people will not
be unmindful of the fact that demo
cratic votes in congress made it pos
sible