The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-06-22
i AFT'S FIJI TURE
now is AT STAKE
With Reciprocity Defeated He
Can't Be Renoni-
mated.
FIGHT IS TO FINISH
Few Members Of Senate Who
Really Want Measure
to Pass.
Especial to The Times pispa tch.

| Washington, Juno 2l.-AnS one who
I will watch conditions as they exist
at the White House and in the House
and Senate at the present time. and the
wire-pullins that is being done Ivy
President Taft TO get tho reciprocity
bill through. realize that IL is a fight
! TO the finish There Is no use deny
Ing the fact that If reciprocity fails
II will he Lceless for AIr.tTaft to try
for denomination. In fact in such a
contingency 1t looks like a sure thing
| for the Democrats.
To administer direct rcbukc TO the
President and then appeal to the coun-
try is the course which many Senate
leaders are seriously considering. They
| are not all of any one faction. either.
Democrats in general want Taft re-
nominated. because they feel conf
dent that they can defeat him. Re-.
publicans. orthodcx ana hcterodox
alike. are wondering If there is Il
chance to break the rule of century
and quarter that a President can
renomina tie himself when he chooses
There has been no exception to the
rule.
Report is that eight Democrats are
now about determined to vote q sainst
reciprocity. If this be accurate recl-
procity is defeated.
Taking both parties there arc prob
ably not half score of men in tho
entire Senate who sincerely want to
see reciprocity win. Most of the Dem
ocrats and some Republicans will vote
for IT,: but in private conversations
they agree among themselves that
they don't like It.
And in the long run the Senate isn't
much given to doing the thing it
doesn't like to do.
To defeat reciprocity Will necessl-
tate. on behalf of those Republicans
who vote against it, most complete and
detailed explanations to constituents.
Wherefore the Senate is toning up in
preparation for an oratorical tourney.
Preparing Speeches.
Not less than thirty Republican
Senators are loading up for great
speeches in opposition to the Presl-
dents measure. Senator Nelson, or
Minnesota, Is a good illustration. He
Is going to take a special committee to
study Alaska this summer or autumn
provided first he sees the finish OF
the reciprocity discussion. Nothing on
earth Will get him away from Wash
ington till he has unloaded the big
speech he is preparing, and give his
vote against the pact 1t is expect
ed that he will have two or three days
talk to unload, for he is working night
and day on the effort. collecting sta
tistics studying industrial conditions.
putting the agreement itself under
tile microscope.
What Nelson does Will be. of piece
with the performances of many otnr
ers. Senator Cummins is a work on
speech that Will require days In
delivery. Clapp, La Toilette, Brstow
and others are similarly preparing
themselves, as are many OF the Reg
ulars Ili
Six weeks of talk is the minimum
estimate; it may go to eight or ten
weeks. Almost all the Republicans
are going to make speeches for nome
consumption. There will be some spe-
ciaily bitter attacks on the President.
He will be charged with perverting
the maximum and minimum provision
OF the tariff act OF 1909, when he is
sued the proclamation giving Canada
the benefit of the minimum duties.
, Under careful analysis. 1t Will be
shown that in fact Canada's prefer
entail treatment of British goods made
1t utterly impossible to give Canada
the minimum rates. The PRESIDENT
faced the necessity of either imposing
the maximum rates or abrogating the
law. He chose the latter course.
People who viii protest that he has
violated the law will admit that the end
perhaps justified the means. What
they object 10 Is the subsequent pro-
ceedings. The closest kind of calcula-
tion was necessary to figure a way to
save Canada from the maximum rates.
Commissioner Pepper was sent to Can
ad 10 confer with the CANADIAN gov
eminent first. In the effort to avoid
this. which nobody wanted to precipi-
tate. ne discussion led around to
revival of the ancient reciprocity dis
cushions. and in the end Canada not
only got the minimum rates. but dick
! cred herself into the hest side OF
I oo 81
tackled as utterly jug handled and un-
fair.
Talk of Tntcrests.',
When il comes to the treaty itself.
there will be close scrutiny OF detailed
provisions. That certain trusts, es-
pecally the steel and harvester com
| binations received the largest share
Of dement's: that these benehts are cal
culated to help the Canadian farmer
in competition with the American, and
| that, besides all this. the Canadian gets
| free access with his products to our
| ports-all this will be developed in
elaborate fashion
The politics Of the situation lies
Of the treaty are going, to do about
all the talking. and that they are
going TO do It with the definite pur-
strength the measure has with the
country. Thus far the opposition has
been reserving It's FIRE. 1t realizes that
while II was doing this. the protagon-
sts OF reciprocity have made Roadway
With public opinion: Leading progress
sive newspapers ell over the Middle
| West have committed themselves to
the measure; and their detection is
serious thing to the Progressive Re-
publications, who have enjoyed vast ad-
vantages in the past by reason OF mag
azin+ support
! So the Republicans who Will talk
! against reciprocity will be talking for
! their lives, talking to get their old
| supporters back in line. to Squire
/ themselves with the Progressive pross,
| to kcep their constituents cheerful
10 show them that there is no incop-
siAtency between former professions Of
I zeal for reclpr0citX and r,rnaent oranasi.