The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1911-03-02
VESSEY
RECIPROCITY
Governor Believes Congress
Should Ratify Pact with
Canada


reciprocity treaty, Governor Wesley,
in an interview. said:
The United States exports grain
because we raise more than we ear
use ourselves. We are now and al
ways have been selling wheat in the
worlds market whe.e the price is
set by the worlds competition. We
shall continue to sell in that market
and on that p::"a basis.
The price of gram will not be
lowered in this country by recipro-
city with Canada. The tariff of rs
cents per bushel on wheat is and
always has been useless as regards
Canada. No such difference in price
has resulted, The same bugaboo
was held before us about free hides
but hides are free and the price is
not lower.
IF we admit that somebody else
can raise grain cheaper than we can
we admit at once that our land is al
ready selling too high, when in fact
no country can complete with US,
and our land at double its present
price even in the older sections of
the state is cheap. While in the
newer sections many times the pre-
sent price is justified purely because
of the intrinsic value of the land
based on its ability to produce
against any competition in the
world.
"A protective tariff was original
ed, justified and maintained purely
to protect our free, well paid, Am.
erican laboring men against the
pauper laborers of other countries.
There was nc other reason or eXcuse
for it. All other benefits which
followed resulted from that n
The Canadian grain country is large
ly settled up by our own Dakota,
Iowa and northwestern farmers, our
own kith and kin, verify our own
| flesh and blood. They are not paup-
ers because they have crossed an
Invisible line on the same prairie
where they have grown to manhood
and womanhood. The people of all
Canada are Of the same race as we
are: they have the same common
oligin, tradition, history, religion,
laws and customs as ourselves. The
labor is free and the same class as
our own. usually as well paid
There has been an unfortunate
tendency to use the protective prin-
ciple to shut avenues of trade for the
benefit of special interests. 1t is
this abuse which has to some extent
been used to justify the feeling
against protection in general. This
abuse caused the reverSals in the
recent campaign. When, in fact, if
literally and honestly applied, pro-
lection is the key which, along with
reciprocity, can be made to unlock
every gateway to opportunity The
principle Of protection is right, the
abuse of it is wrong. but we have
in some ntances more abuse than
protection.
When this discussion first arose,
the cry vas at nee set up in quar-
tiers not interested in the grow.
ing of wheat that reciprocity
would destroy our wheat growers.
The folly of this statement became
quickly apparent. Now there comes
from the same source another
alarm quite as misleading, that rs
that our coarse grain will be put
out of business by the Canadian pro-
duct. Now our farmers have learn
ed long ago to feed coarse grain to
stock. Canadian farmers know this
toe, ard if the Canadians could real
ly raise coarse grains cheaper than
we can they would not buy meat in
the United States; but that is exact
ly what they do. Last year we sold
them four and quarter million
dollars worth of meat and lard.
Other bugaboos will likely be sprung
but the whole thing comes back to
the initial fact that this country
does actually compete with the
world in agricultural products
whether we wish it o. not.
ANY price influence on our products
must of necessity be local and tenn
porary.
American brain and Drawn do
not fear any fair competition under