The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-05-24
FIGHTING
 AGAINST
 RECIPROCITY On a False Plea of Great Friendship for the
 Farmers But They Don't Come For ward in Support of the Farmers Free List, Which Is Being Held Up In the Senate.

Senate.
 (By Clyde H. Tavenner) l Washington, May 23-AlthOugk | standpat Republicans proclaim tha'
 practically every farmer in the land l is against reciprocity, the fact is that i the recent wonderful growth of pub l lie sentiment in favor of reciprocity i started with farmers organizations | and the agricultural press of the na- I tion.
 Congressman Ralph W. Moss of In | diana. a farmer himself and one of the best friends of the agrfculturists oc- I cupying a seat in the halls of Con- gress, established this fact beyond successful contradiction in strong | speech Delivered on the floor of tine House. Mr. Moss cinched his point by presenting the actual resolutions in which the great organizations of farm CTS pledged themselves to work for reciprocity.
 "The great national movement 1 among the farmers of the United States to advance reciprocal legisla- ton began said Mir Moss, with a meeting held in the Grand Pacific ho- tel in Chicago in 1905. There were present at the meeting delegates rep resenting the National Live Stock as- sociation American Short Horn asso- citation. National Live stock Exchange Millers' National Federation and other great producing and exporting inter ests.
 "It was decided to hold a. nation al conference to advance reciprocal tariff legislation. Alvin H. Saunders was chosen as the leader of the move ment. Who is A. H. Saunders? He is a member of the tariff board appoint ed by President Taft. MT. Saunders was at that time the editor of the Breeders Gazette. the most influen- tial and widely read farm journal in the United States. MT. Saunders is- sued a signed statement as to the purposes of the conference. He declar- ed his willingness to cooperate with the specific understanding that the in- terests of the farmers and stock grow CTS should be paramount '" Tt is time declared MT. Saund- ders in his signed statement, that somebody should take up the c1ldgels against those who for selfish purposes destroyed Blaine's reciprocity conven- tions, and are still barring the Amer ican stockmen and grain growers their goods. The fight for better mar kets, worth unknown millions per year to the farming communities, will not be won in a week or month. It means a battle royal against intrench- ed power, but it will be won beca1ise it is right ''
 MT. Moss went on to show that the conference was attended by more than 600 delegates; representing every prin- cipa1 agricultural organization in the nation, and that at the close of the meeting the following resolution was passed.
 That we recommend that a perma- nent organization be formed under the style of the Reciprocal Tariff lea que, and that a committee of 15 be appointed to organize and further the work for which this convention was assembled
 MT. Moss expressed the belief that when reciprocity could be put direct ly to the real farmers of the country. it would develop that they are for 1t, and that the alleged hostility of the farmer exists principally in the minds of the paper manufacturers and lum- Der barons.
 Two bills intended to deprive the Supreme court of the power it re- gently assumed to read the word "rea- sonable'' into the antitrust law, indi- cate the strong protest in Congress against the decision of the court weak ening the antitrust statute. The bills were introduced by Senators Cu1ber- son of Texas and Reed of Missouri both Democrats.
 Senator Cu1berson's bill consists of a printed copy of the Sherman act with three words inserted into Sections 1 and 2, the words being "Of what ever character The effect would be to prohibit all combinations, conspira- c1es in restraint of trade, all monopo- lies, all combinations tending toward Y1an nT1n nf vyha 41o Y,, the Texas Senator's opinion this change would effectually restore the prohibitions of the antitrust law to just where they were before the re- cent decisions was handed down
 It is contended by many members show them to be alert for the inter ests of the people, that the ruling of the Supreme court places in the anti trust law a loophole for trusts and combinations to get through on the ground that they are not unreasonably restrictive of trade.
 That the Sherman law will be re- stored to where it was before the de- cision was announced, is highly prob able
 FARMERS FRIENDS" SLEEPING.
 The farmers free list bill is block aded in the senate. Unless strong
 
 danger that the bill will die in com mittee.
 Yet the interests that are supplying money to fight reciprocity which in terests are working overtime proclaim ing their friendship for the farmers and asserting they oppose reciprocity solely because they feel for the far mers. have not as yet raised their voice against the blockage of the free list bill.
 Query: If the interests fighting re- ciprocity are really and in fact such great friepds of the farmers why are they indifferent over the fate of a bill which will untax nearly everything the farmers use?
 SENATE PROBABLE
 If the next Presidential election is carried by the Democrats, it is prac- tically certain they will also control the Senate. Should the Republicans elect the President there will still be the possibility of Democratic con- trol in the Senate.
 The substitution of four Democrats