The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-03-23
ANK E. HOWE, Editor and Pub'r,
AS TO RECIPROCITY


city with Canada. The article is writ
ten by Former Senator Beverage OF
Indiana who has been one of the lead
ers of the Progressive Republicans
since that wing of the party began to
fight the stand-pat element. Senator
Beveridge says that the reciprocity
compact is far from perfect because
of distrust and suspicion on both
sides, but that 1t win be great step
in advance and help business and
progress on both sides of the line.
Senator Beveridge's article should be
read by every citizen of the country
who wants to get a fair understand
ing of the matter Following are a
few paragraphs from the article.
First, then, it is urged grayely that
reciprocity with Canada is hostile TO
the policy OF protection. There Is
humor in every situation; and II has
been funny TO observe the flaming
earnestness of certain politician-ora-
tors in opposition to Canadian reel
procity because It is going to hurt
protection in some way or other
They even declare that Canadian reel
proclty means the quick beginning of
the speedy end of our whole protec.
tive system. Let us see II this rea-
son Is sound
h.. al
this notion Is protection protection
mind you, and not extortion under the
name of protection. What were the
economic conditions that created pro
lection and preserved 1t as a national
policy? What was the basic reason
for establishing protection?
1T was this. was ii not? We were
young and an underpopulated coun
try. If we were to build factories
and other non.agricultural Industries
of our own, we could not do II unless
our laboring men In those industries
were paid better wages than were
paid to laboring men in the same in
dustries in other and competing coun-
tries
"Our American laboring men simp-
ly could not live, with our higher
standard of liging, on the wages paid
the laboring men OF the oyercrowded
competing countries II we let the
products of those foreign underpaid
laborers into our country our indus
tries could not exist unless we paid
our laboring men higher wages than
those competing foreign countries
paid their laboring men.
Generally, the policy of protection
Is necessary as against competing
countries with an oversupply OF un-
der paid labor; but this does not ap-
ply TO Canada. II never did apply TO
Canada. The very reason for protec-
ton that applies to other countries
compels the easiest commercial inter
course with Canada.
Let me make this very clear by
concrete illustration: Take Germany
for example: Germany has nearly
three hundred people to the square
mile. England has almost four hun
bred people to the square mile.
France has nearly two hundred peo-
pie to the square mile. Holland has
about five hundred people to the
square mile. Belgium has more than
six hundred people to the square
mile.
Compare them with Canada
Though the countries | have named
have from two hundred to six hun.
drod rac,ta tn tha ocuor. ,,ffaap
average OF about three hundred
Canada has fewer than two people to
the square mile. So Canada is not
oyercrowded but underpopulatdd
There is not an oversupply OF labor
In Canada. but an undersupply. get
ting about the same wages-taking
the Dominion as whole-as Ameri.
can laboring men get. taking the Re.
public as a whole.
so reciprocity between Canada
and the United States can hold no
danger to the policy OF protection;
but refusal longer to adopt closer
trade relations between the Dominion
and the Republic may hold danger to
the policy OF protection. Mark this
well, my fellow protectionists. whom
designing interests and politicians
are trying to prejudice against Cana.
dian reciprocity.
For. II those special interests aud
politicians defeat the policy OF Cana.
dian reciprocity. is Il not natural aud
possible that our people, In their dis.
gust, may swing to the other extreme
and directly attack our system OF pro
lection altogether?
"The foregoing illustrations sug.
gest another objection that Is being
worked overtime against Canadian
reciprocity. The crafty minds that
are resolved to prevent closer trade
relations with our brothers and
lneighbors on the north are pulling
every wire to alarm the American
farmer. II Is said that the American
farmer Is sacrificed by this agree
ment.
1T IL said. because the farmers
products are put on the free list aud
no manufactured articles are put on
the free list. that our manufacturer
are still protected. though all protec
ton Is taken away from our farmers
And loud is the wall at this allegct
Discrimination" against our farmers
or course the very FIRST glance show
this to be improbable and careful
study shows II to be so unqualincdll
untrue that Il ia laughable
an the FIRST place. the only rcasol
why manufactured products are no
put on the free list az we'll az agrl
cultural products Ia because Canadl
would not agree to t. ! repeat tina
the same selfish. short.sighted polio,
with which We have become 20 fami
lar In this country II being urged b
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