Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-03-21

of the agreement were fixed, the COM
missiOners from the two countries
afterward working out the details
Second to the president perhaps the
most important figures In the nego-
tiatiOns were w. s. Fielding, minister
of finance for Canada, and Philander
G. Knox, American secretary Of state
The presidents second big play was
his special message to congress recon-
mending the approval of the agree
ment. The third move was his Nc
Kinley day speech. In which he quoted
the dead presidents reciprocity senti-
ments uttered the day before his as
sassination In Buffalo.
Will Mr.. Taft's next move be to 'call
special session of congress? He has
intimated that he Is prepared to take
that step II there Is not vote on the
proposition in both houses of congress
during the present session. He be-
lives that the longer the country has
to think over the proposal the more II
will favor Ii and that eventually the
agreement will he ratified. There Is
no doubt that he Is ready to make a
fight for the measure similar to that
which be conducted for this legislative
programme In the last session.
Success Seems Assured.
With the large Democratic acces-
sions In both houses in the new con-
gress there Is a belief that the proposal
must ultimately go through. At least
a part of the progressives are certain
to- favor it, and 1t is even possible that
a majority will take that course. In
addition many Of the regulars will also
line up with the administration.
The exact status Of the agreement
ha 81 Ill ha aaI
as a whole or rejected as a whole.
receive a majority In both houses Of
congress. The new Democratic house
will pass 1t without question, and 1t
Is probable that the present house will
do the same. So far as the attitude
Of the present senate can be arrived
at, II is hostile. The new senate will
be more favorable, the only question
being as to whether there will be
enough new accessiOns favoring the
proposal to carry 1t.
There are two views as to the ef-
fects Of Canadian reciprocity on Amer
lean farmers. One Is that the tariff
on farm products Is Of little or no
benefit to the farmers since he pro-
duces a surplus above the amount
needed for home consumption and the
the markets of the void. Advocates
Of Canadian reciprocity will have a
negligible effect on our farmers. At
the same time 1t will not materially
reduce prices to consumers. 1t will
tend, however. to prevent grain cor
ners and stock market manipulations.
The other view Is that the free i'm
portation Of Canadian farm products
will reduce American prices and will
attract hosts Of American farmers to
the cheaper lands of the Dominion.
Supporters or this idea aver that the
only American beneficiaries Of reci-
procity will be the consumer, the rail-
road and the manufacturer. In the
matte Of wheat, for example, the
cheaper product Of the Dominion will
come to the American mill to be
ground.
On the free admission of live stock,
supporters Of reciprocity assert that
the adoption Of the agreement will ac-
tually help American farmers. AS
there Is little corn grown In the Do
minion. Canadian range cattle will be
brought across the border to fatten.
Fishermen Object.
Farmers are by no means the only
ones objecting to the proposal. The
fisherman Of New England are up in
arms. At Gloucester the flags were
put at half mast on the announcement
Of the plan. The New England pulp
mills are also in opposition. 1t seems
a foregone conclusion that most OF the
senator's from this section will vote
against ratification. Yet, strangely
enough, the man who Is leading the
fight for reciprocity in the house Is
Representative Samuel w. Mccall OF
Massachusetts, a regular Republican.
Back of Canadian reciprocity Is
larger question which everybody rec
ogniZes, but which nobody talks much
about. In England 1t furnishes one or
the grounds for opposition to ratifica-
ton of the agreement. In America 1t
Is supplying just as powerful a senti-
ment the other way. In Canada. II rec
ognized at all, 1t Is brushed aside.
This is the question Of Canadian an
nexatiOn. Is it only a dream, or Is 1t
possibility of the near future? Can
ada Is more nearly related to us than
TO Great Britain. Her interests are
identical with ours. Her natural out
let and market are through the United
States. The natural course OF trade Is
north and south. Even Dominion poll
tics Is rapidly becoming more Ameri-
can than English. Is reciprocity an
entering wedge? Is the last great Eu-
ropean possession in the western hem
isDhere to sever her bonds james A.
Edgerton, for American Press Asso-
citation.