The Wilson times. [volume] (Wilson, N.C.) 1896-19??, 1911-02-14
TAFT ON
RECIPROCITY
SAYS AMERICA MUST HAVE FREE
TRADE AGREEMENT WITH
CANADA
WREATH FOR LINCOLN

Taft Saturday took his most ad-
Vanced position with regard to Cana
dian reciprocity. In an address be
fore joint session of the Illinois
Legislature he warned the leaders of
his party that if they should defeat
the concessions contained in the reci-
procal agreement now pending in Con-
gress and should persist in retaining,
in these times of high prices and
gradually exhausting food supply,
tariff not based solely upon the differ
ence in cost of production at home
and abroad, with a reasonable profit
to the American producer, an opposi-
ton will be aroused that will know
no moderation and will wipe from the
statute books the last trace of a pro
tective tariff.
This announcement came on the
heels Of news from Washington that
the reciprocity agreement had met
with a favorable report in the House
Committee on Ways and Means only
through the help of Democratic votes.
President Taft feels keenly the op-
position to reciprocity agreement by
members of his party, but he is san
guine in the hope that they will see
the Eight" before it is too late.
Gratified BY Reception.
He was immensely gratifed by the
manner in which his reciprocity
speeches were received, especially by
the Legislature audience at the State
that his theme was to be reciprocity
called out a burst of applause. Pro
ceeding then to outline some of the
schedules of the Canadian pact, the
President was listened to with the
summing up Of the situation the in
terpretations of applause became
more frequent and when he had con-
cluded the plaudits were fairly deak-
ening and. this despite the fact that
Speaker Cannon had sent message
from Washington to the Legislature
strongly opposing any sort of .reci-
procity.
The President came to Springfield
for dual purpose. The first of these
was to place a wreath on the tomb
Of Abraham Lincoln and to pay a
tribute to the memory Of ."the great
emancipator."
Tribute To Lincoln.
''He was the greatest citizen of
your State" the President said, "and
with Washington the greatest citizen
of the United States"
His second purpose was to speak
in favor of the reciprocity agreement
The crowds which greeted Mr.. Taft
were the largest of any of his tours
as President The streets of Spring
field were thronged as the presidential
special arrived over the Illinois Trac-
ton system.
Arriving here the President went
direct to the Capitol. He is the first
President who ever addressed the Ill
inois Legislature State Senators and
Representatives were in many cases
accompanied by their wives or other
members of their families. 81
Speaker Adkins introduced the
President. The President launched at
once into his prepared address. He
reviewed the tariff provisions of the
Chicago platform of 1908 and said
that the conditions of production in
Canada and the United States are so
nearly similar that tariff based on
a difference Of cost as between this
and other countries would amount,
in the case of Canada to substantial
free trade.
After the conclusion of his address
he was driven in an automobile tc
he cid Lincoln home, where he
peat Ieaelg an hour going over the