The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-02-06
OPPOSING RECIPROCITY,

First the Gloucester fishermen raised
their voice against Canadian reciproe
ity, because it included reciprocal com
merce in fish And now the standpat
ters are working mp an agitation among
the farmers against the ratification of
the Canadian reciprocity agreement, be-
cause they allegc that it would tend 10
reduce prices of foods in this country
and make living cheaper, thus deprcs-
sing their prices. But in view of the
fact that the same interests that are
making this plea are the interests that
also deny thai the tariff has any ef.
feet in increasing the cost of living, it
is manifest that these two pleas do not
go well together. If it is true that re
ciproc,ty with Canada would reduce the
cost of living, then II Is q plain case
that the tariff increases that cost. And
so, il will he the Office Of some expert
to figure out how much the lahoring
man gains when the tariff affords him
better wages and at the same time in
creases to him the cost of the necessi-
ties of life. Either the standpatters
will have to abandon the proposition
Of living, or they will have to cease
their opposition to the Canadian reci-
procity agreement.
As matter Of fact, Canada does
not ship enough agricultural products
to materially affect the markets In
I, q. ID
nm immensely productive country in all
agricultural lines that the reception
among us of all that Canada could raise
and spare would amount practically to
nothing And in this connection the
words of President Mckinley that Gre
ciprocity is the handmade of protec.
tom cannot he forgotten, and the
fealty Of Mckinley to protection is
unquestionable
Another feature of this agitation
Iowa Minnesota. and other States
where the demand for tariff has been
the weakest, and where the rebellion
against the bunko tariff law, that was
passed in 1909, was the strongest The
Senators and Representatives from
those States, and from other States
which have considered this bunko tar.
iff, passed by and for "the interests, -
as oppressive upon the people. opposed
that new tariff law on the express
grounds that it increased the cost of
living, was unnecessary in many of It's
schedules for the protection of Ameri
can labor, and was oppressive upon the
general public i'll its operations, can
| hardly with any show Of consistency
oppose this agreement, And now tC
very region. seems like the reversal of
a settled opinion,
President Taft is unqucstjonably a
good Republican, protectionIst Repub
lican; it will be idle to undertake any
showing against him on account OF
party regularity, party fealty and party
good faith. He expressly quotes Nc
kinle". "the apostle of protection, - in
support of his efforts. IT is no secret
| that, although he was brought over To
WV n'pB'i' VI lll' ldIlll
law, he never in his heart approved it,
| And in his latest annual message ia
Congress he expressly insisted that this
| tariff law should be amended schedule
by schedule, each on separate basis
and each at different times, as tho
wrongful nature of the schedule was
shown by the Investigations of the tar.
| ilf board. 1t is evident that President
Taft Is very much in earnest in his ef
forts to have the Canadian reciprocity
agreement ratified by Congress. And
| if the present Congress fails or refuses
such ratification, it is altogether prob
able that he will call an extra session
of the new Congress, as he has already
intimated that he would do, and put
the question mp to that body.