The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-07-24
DEMOCRATS GET
CREDIT BY TAFT
President Praises Them for
Splendid Work for
Reciprocity
ACQUlTS THEM OF
PLAYING POLITICS
Declares They Had a Higher
Policy and a Decade Will
Show Benefits to
Country

/ BEF ERLY. MASS, July 23.--fn
statement given 10 the newspaper
men this evening President Taft ex
pressed his personal qualification at
! the passage of the Canadian rect
ertdit for its success upon Secretary
! of State Knox, the Republicans and
the Democrats, and acquitted the
members of the latter party from the
charge of playing politics in their sup
port of the measure. Without their
aid. the President frankly admitted.
the reciprocity pact would have fall
ed OF passage.
Especially did President Taft pay
tributes to the Democrats In Congress
for their abstention from 50 amend
Ing the bin as to embarrass him and
make it doubtful whether he would
sign it. In this regard. the Presi-
dent said, the Democrats follow ed the
dictates OF a high policy.
From Different Motives.
| The Republicans who supported the
bill, said the President, probably act
ed upon a different economic motive
than did the Democrats; yet the Pres
ident declared the Republicans and
himself were entitled to the mutual
Fluctuations on its passage. He pre-
idicted, as the result, greater United
States and a greater Canada, and de-
clared his belief that those who said
the measure would harm American
farmers would see their fears allaye>
In the operation Of the measure.
The President expressed the belief
that the Canadian Parliament would
adopt the pact.
Upon his arrival at Boston this
morning President Taft motored to
Beverly, where he had breakfast
l. NJ 81 "A
lCharlie Taft. He attended church at
Lynn. where he heard a sermon by
DIR. Robert Collier. the pastor OF the
Unitarian church. In the late after
} noon he took ride in his automobile
along the shore.
Presidents Statement.
, The statement of the President was
as follows:
THAT / am very much pleased with
the passage of the Canadian recipro-
city bill through both Houses of Con-
gress goes without saying. ! believe
and hope ii will be followed by SINH
lar action by the Dominion paria-
ment In my Judgment. the going
) into effect of the agreement will mark
a new epoch in the relations between
the United States and Canada. and
/ II will tend to a marked increase in
the trade between the two countries.
WHICH " AIl pe AZ "a NStS Way bCHS
/ fetal. I hope the credit that be-
3 longs TO Secretary Knox and his spe-
I cial assistants at the state depart
1 ment in the negotiation and framing
l OF the pact and their lucid explana-
ton and defense OF its terms Will
not he withheld.
| I'm a sense the bill passed was a
( non partisan measure, though the Re-
} publicans who voted for it probably
did so OK ssfs economic theory. and
! the Democrats who voted for 1t on
$ another.
3 Credit. to Democrats.
= ~ should be wanting in straight
Q forward speaking. however. IL l did
: not freely acknowledge the credit that
= belongs 10 the Democratic majority
n In the House and the Democratic mi
1 nority In the Senate for their con-
;. sistent support OF the measure, In
: an earnest and sincere desire to Sc
cure It's passage. Without this reel
s procity would have been impossible
/ 1t would not have been difficult fo,
them to fasten upon the bill amend.
3 ments affecting the tariff generally ir
8 ! such SWAY as to embarrass the ex-
ecutive and to make 1T doubtful whe-
, Their he could sign the bill and yet
/, to claim popular approval for their
!, support OF reciprocity In it's defeat
r In other words the. Democrats die
y not play politics in the colloquia
sense in which those words are used
but they followed the dictate OF 9
higher policy. We Republicans who
earnestly sought reciprocity. and some
whose votes were necessary to the
passage Of the bill may properly en-
Joy mutual felicitations on a work
4 we'll done. To those who opposed
\ the bill on the ground that 1t will
do harm to the farmers. We can only
, say that we. who have supported the
!, passage Of the bill. look forward ts
the test OF the actual operation Of
the reciprocity agreement to disprovt
their prophesies and to allay theiI
fears. The satisfaction that actua
experience in its working Will give
d we confidently hope Will secure It.
9 permanence. In decade Its benefit,
: win contribute much to a greater
d TINTED States and a greater Canada
IS Canada Hears News.
70 OTTAWA. ONT. July 23.-The Can
70 adam cabinet received the news of tn
It reciprocity victory In the u. s. Senat'
II while they were seated around thu
- priyy council table. Sir Wi1frtd Laurie
presiding. All present expressed thei
= satisfaction over the ultimate victor.
= OF the bill without any amendments.
n Both the Liberal and Conservative
% parties will hold caucuses on Tuesda!
. to determine what policy shall be fol
d lowed as to the voting on the Cana
i dian reciprocity bill. There are indica
y tions that several members OF the con
10 sentative ranks will break away from
n their policy Of obstruction and worl
10 for the bills passage. Urgent call
have been sent out by the party whip
= for a full attendance Of members o
70 parliament.
l. The Monteal Herald said to-day Il
le ts editorial columns:
10 "The success Of the reciprocity bill
lr IL a personal triumph OF the President
MIR. Taft had given his word to Can
= ada that the bill would become Law
It All attempts to wreck the measur
d failed. And with aid Of the trojal
II work by the President and Mr.. Penrcs
v. the bill to-day IL victorious and Pres
tdsnt Taft has vindieated his word.