The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1911-08-04
RECIPROCITY
CANADIAN
Government Forces Fa-
vor and ConServa-
tives Oppose
BY JArfEs A. EDGERToN.

shell. The American congress
having passed the agreement in
the exact form devised by the commits
sioners Of the two governments, our
part Of the pact rs completed. What
will the Canadian parliament do? In
favor OF the measure stands the pres
ent Canadian government with Sir
Wilfrid Laurier at its head. In opposi-
ton is the Conservative party under
the leadership Of Robert Laird Borden.
While the government has substan-
tial majority In the house of commons
ranging from fifty 10 sixty or more,
there is no method Of closure In the
body, 30 that the foes Of a measure
can talk It to death. Now, that is just
what the enemies Of reciprocity threat
en- to do. They have talked so long
already that there is a deadlock in the
chamber which promises to continue
Indefinitely
It is announced that if there is not
a rift in the talk clouds soon Premier
Laurter will move for the dissolution
Of parliament and go to the people.
That would mean an election, which
could not be held before September or
October, after which the new parlia-
ment would convene and the word mill
would start all over again.
1t is hard for a layman to under
stand how an appeal to the country
would simplify the situation, since 1t
would be just as difficult to close de-
bate in another parliament as In this
one-more difficult, in fact, because
there would be fresh army of talk
ers returned by the election. Possibly
the government counts on such an
overwhelming victory that the opposi-
don will subside after the people have
spoken. Anyway the Canuck talk mill
now has the floor.
Our Congress Not So Bad.
We find much fault with our CON
gress, not without cause, but when we
compare 1t with other legislative de-
batting societies, such as that to our
north, for example, we find that the
honorable bodies presided over by
Sunny Jim" Sherman and Champ
Clark are not so bad after all. We
accuse our senate of talking bills to
death, and yet that body only discuss
ed reciprocity a brief three months,
while the Canadian house of commons
has been at it six months ana ap-
parently Is no nearer a vote than be-
fore. Not only so, but the program
seems to be to go on Grating until a
dissolution. is brought about and then
to find fault because it came before
redistricting is effected IN compliance
with the new census. Talk about
playing politics! The redistricting
bill will not be through before next
year at the nearest. Yet the opposition
to reciprocity coolfy proposes to pre-
vent vote on this measure indef-
nitely and to raise hob If the govern
ment goes to the country before the
next year or the year after The Con-
servative party in Canada seems to be
something like the same aggregation
in England-the buHch that recently
howled in an aristocratic manner for
several hours against Premier Asquith.
Honestly, we Americans should pat
ourselves on our collective back for
the reason that, bad as our parties are,
we have nothing that even remotely
approaches in deprav1ty, fossilism,
prejudice or faulty the Conservative
or Tory party of the British empire.
Yet the Canadian Liberals claim that
the reciprocity agreement will eventu-
ally win; that the Tories in the Do
minion are fighting losing battle just
as the Tories of England are fighting
a losing battle in trying to uphold the
veto power of the house of lords.
The Annexation Bogy.
The claim of the Canuck Conserva-
tives is that reciprocity with the Unit
ed States Is the entering wedge for
annexation to the United States. They
boast that they are battling for the
British empire. The Liberals retort
that this is palpable appeal to preju.
dice, that the reciprocity pact is mere
ly commercial agreement and has
nothing to do with political annexa-
ton and that such cry is q subter-
fuge, intended 20 deceive the ignorant !
The view Of the Liberals is that the
blind policy followed by the Tories, !
both in Canada and Great Britain, is
but an exhibition of impotent fury and
an admission Of defeat Therefore !
the responsible Liberal government in |
both countries can afford to ignore the
opposition tactics and go on its way
with equanimity and determination |
All this party war concerns Americans !
only remotely. The limiting of the
lords veto interests us alone because it |
is a step In the direction of progress
and democracy. The reciprocity agree
ment affects us more closely, but even
so we can afford 10 keep free from
Canadian internal politics.
The general provisions of the reci-
procity agreement are as follows: 1t |
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