The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-04-28

existing duty from such articles com
ing into the United States, it would no-
affect in the slightest degree the price
at which those articles could be Iuf-
nished to the public here.
Why Meat Was Left Out.
Thus the reason why meats were
not put on the free list in this Cana
dian agreement was because Canada
felt that the competition of our pack
ers would injuriously affect the pro
ducts of their packing houses. II that
be true, how would it help our con-
sumner or lower the price of meat in
our markets if we let their meat in
free, while they retained a duty on
our meat?
THE same thing is true of flour
And yet gentlemen insist that the far
mer has been unjustly treated because
we have not put Canadian flour and
meat on the free list. 1t is proposed
to satisfy the supposed grievance OF
the farmers by now doing so without
any compromising concession from
Canada.
There are two objections to insert
ing in the bill confirming this Cana
dian contract additions to our free
list from Canada. The first is that
they are a concession that is of no
value to those whom it is proposed to
propitiate by adopting it; and the sec
ond is that it may involve us indir-
ectly in a doubtful obligation in re-
spect to trade with other countries. If
we desire to put meat and flour and
other commodities on the free list for
the entire world, that is one thing
we can do it with our eyes open with
a knowledge of what it entails, after
an investigation, but to put such pro-
vision in q Canadian treaty and then
have it operate as a free list for the
entire world is legislation necessarily
ill-considered.
More than this, these proposed
gratuitouS concessions are in the ma
ture of an admission that in some way
or other, we have done an injury to
particular class by this Canadian
reciprocity agreement. 1t is said that
1t Injuries the farmer. l deny it. 1t
is strictly in accordance with the pro-
tective principles that we should only
have a protective tariff between us
and countries in which the conditions
are so dissimilar as to make a differ
ence in the cost of production.
TT is said that this is an agreement
that affects agricultural products more
than manufactures. That is true; but
IL we are to have an Interchange of
products between the two countries.
of any substantial amount. the chief
part of it must necessarily be in agrf-
cultural products. AS it is we export
to Canada more agricultural products
than We receive from her, and so it
Will be afterwards. The effect is not
going, in my judgment, to lower the
specific prices of agricultural products
in our country. 1t is going to steady
them, and it is going to produce an
interchange of products at a profit
which will be beneficial to both coun-
tries.
A Conclusive Reason.
Another, and a conclusive reason
for closing the contract is the oppor-
tunity which it gives us to increase
the supply of our natural resources
which with the wastefulness of. children
we have wantDnly exhausted. The tim
Der resources IF Canada, which will
open themselves to US inevitably, I'M
der the oNeration of this agreement
are now apparently inexhaustible and
we may derive ample supplies of tim
per from Canadian sources to the pro-
fit of Canada and for our own benefit.
There are other natural resources
which 1 need not stop to enumerate,
which will become available to US as
IL our own If we adopt and maintain
| commercial union with Canada
1T would be invidious to institute a
comparison between the government of
Canada and this country, but there is
one part of our jurisdiction and that
OF Canada that come together sufficient
~ close to enable the Canadians and
ourselves to realize that the sample of
government that we exhibit is not al
Turing. 1 refer to the control of Alas
ka as compared with the control by
talk of annexation is bosh. Every one
who knows anything about it realize
that it is bosh.
Canada is a great, strong youth,
anxious to test his muscles, rejoicing
in the race he is ready to run The
United States has all it can attend to
with the territory it is now governing,
and to make the possibility of the an
nexation of Ca~ad9 to- the United States
a basis for objection to any steps tow
ard their greater economic and COM
mercial union should he treated as one
OF the jokes of the platform and should
not eIiter into consideration of serious
men engaged in solving q serious prob
| lem.
Il desire to express my high appreci-
alton OF the manner in which the pres
ent house of representatives has treated
the reciprocity agreement. 1t has not
played politics. it has taken the
statesmanlike course in respect to it.
Il am hopeful that the senate will
treat the agreement in the same way
and that no amendments will there be
| added to the bill. For the reasons
given, think they are dangerous.
I,orT