The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-05-27
The Outlook for 1912


that there is considerable sentiment
in Vermont in opposition to reciproe-
ity, as stated elsewhere, the fact re-
mains according TO the figures of trade
between the United States and Can
ada, to economic conditions and politi-
cal considerations President Taft is un
questionably correct in supporting
policy looking toward closer trade re-
lations between the two countries.
So many agricultural products have
commanded a higher price in Canada
than in the United States and we have
shipped so large an excess of farm
commodities TO the Dominion that
there can be no question that Secre-
tary Wilson of the department of agri-
culture, who looks out over the broad
field, has given an approximately cor
rect estimate of the general effect of
reciprocity on our agricultural inter
ests. We are confident moreover that
if reciprocity is adopted this year, its
operation will fully vindicate the ad-
ministration's attitude.
While President Taft has won admir-
alton as well as commentators by
insisting upon following what he re-
CARDS as a wise policy regardless of
the effect upon his personal political
fortunes, the fact remains that the
country as a whole is coming to re-
gard him favorably The Washington
correspondent of the New York Trib-
une says that reports of the rapid
gaining of ground politically by the
president are coming to the national
capital from all parts of the country.
The people realize that President
Taft has furnished the key to his
policy in saying that he VIII try to Sc
cure the adoption of reciprocity re-
CARELESS Of its political effect When
the people stop to think, that is ex-
actly the attitude which will win
friends for the administration. The
Standard Oil decision has demonstrate
ed that the President has strengthen
ed the Supreme court OF the United
States in behalf of the interests Of the
people The president has insisted
upon fairly treating the insurgents as
we'll as all with whom he has come in
to contact. Some of the very inter
ests that were loudest in condemning
the president because he did not Sc
cure a better tariff measure than the
Payne-Aldrich law, and were most ac-
tive in overturning a republican Con
gress as a rebuke, are now coming to
recognize the fact that the law has
many merits. All in all the political
situation is rapidly changing in favor
of republicans.
The democratic outlook on the other
hand, has been clouded to marked
degree by the extent to which Tam
many is gaining control Of the situa-
ton throughout the state of New York,
This means that Tammany will con-
troll the New York delegation next
year and the people OF the country
as a whole do not take kindly to the
idea of the Tiger mHauding outside OF
the Empire State.
Under these circumstances no little
interest is to be attached to a state.
ment as to the outlook for the politi-
cal control OF the new electrical col
lege made by Editor Sleicher of Les
lies Weekly. who is in close touch
with the general political situation.
He says
Under the new reapportionment
now pending in Congress, nine OF the
new electrical votes-those which are
gained by Alabama, Florida, Georgia,
Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas-will
be carried by the democratic candidate
in 1912, whoever he may be. Twenty
three of the new votes-those OF Cal
ifornia, Idaho, Illinois, Massachusetts,
Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota,
Oregon, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Is
land. South Dakota, Utah, Washington
and West Virginia-will undoubtedly
be won by the republicans. States
which will have ten new electrical
votes-Colorado Montana, New York,
and New Jersey-may be placed in the
doubtful column. Under normal con-
ditions these are all republican states
but the conditions were not normal in
the congressional campaign year OF
1910 and may not be in 1912. IL
would appear, however, as If two
thirds of the forty-two additional cleo
toral votes would be won by the re-
publicans next year Taft had a ma
jority of 159 in the electrical college
of 1908, which ought to leave a safe
margin for the republicans in 1872,
even if they should in that year, lose
several of the states which he carried