El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-09-11
TTAwA. Canada, Sept. IL

II
alton? That is the question
asked of the voters in Canada in this
exciting campaign If a majority or
them can be convinced that this -ques-
ton can be answered in the affirma-
tive, then the Conservatives will win,
the Laurier government will be de-
feated, the reciprocity pact will fail
and-the Maple Leaf Forever. For it
can be certain that the people of Cana
da do not desire annexation to the
United States Neither this fact nor
the reasons set forward in support OF
flattering to American pride. but the
fact remains.
Some Believe In Reciprocity.
On the other hand an overwhelming
majority of the people of CANADA nave
believed for several generations that
reciprocity with the unitea states des
Tory leader. Sir John Macdonald. and
the great Grit leader, George Brown.
both taught the fathers of this gener-
present leaders of both parties have
praised it as something most desir-
able Now comes the time when the
leaders of one party are FORCED Ior
pose reciprocity. And since by their
own mouths they have proved it 70
be fiscally advantageous and economl-
cally sound, they are compelled 70 llno
Hence the annexation hogie. Mr..
Borden and the other responsible lead
ers Of the opposition are not willing
to say in so many words that recf-
procity means annexation They leave
that for their supporting press and Ior
their less prominent lieutenants.
But Mr.. Borden frankly bases his OPP
position TO reciprocity rather upon po-
litical than economical grounds.
Borden Fears Result.
In his campaign speeches Mr.. Bor.
den has said repeatedly that the eco
nomic side of the reciprocity, ques-
ton is of less Importance than the con-
sideration of its effect on Canaods
freedom and the British connection.
and" he said, IF we submit ourselves
to commercial vassalage with the Unit.
ed States, any man can know Wnar
the result viii be-" It Is not a far cry
from this dignified statement to the
wild passion of the campaign verslcies
"W ould you swap a silken nag,
For a Spangled Cotton Rag?"
The same sentiment underlies both.
The Conservative campaign against
reciprocity is based upon persuadlns
mercia1 union, financial absorption
and finally political annexation or
Canada by the United States. The
Conservatives back up those state
eminent Americans-presiden Taft,
speaker Clark and others.
In his message to congress on jan
uary 26. and In a speech in New
York on April ~. president Taft gave
utterance to sentences much quoted
by Conservatives IN the Canadian CAIN
paign, albeit quoted entirely out OF
their context and distorted to mean
something that president Taft had no
in tention of saying The president
was discussing the growth OF the IDEA
of British imperial tariff system,
in Alfred Zollverein,, and declared
that If the United States was not to be
shut off from Canada by this imperial
tariff system 1T must act now, or words
to that effect His position was
agreed to at the time by most or those
who favored his reciprocity ideas, al
though some persons thought that the
imminence of the British imperial tar
if system might have been exagger-
ated in his mind Nobody at the time
credited him with designs upon the
independence of Canada In the mes
sage Mr. Taft said: They tthe Cana
dians) are coming to the parting OF
"The bond uniting the dominion with
the mothercountry is light and almost
imperceptible", Both times he was
talking of the tariff. and the tariff
only.
Conservatives Quote Taft.
These statements of the president
are used in every Conservative speech,
are kept standing in many anti-reci-
procitk newspapers, and are used more
generally, strange as 1T may seem, 10
bolster up the annexation boyle even
than Champ Clarks boldly expressed
hope that the Stars and Stripes might
one day wave over all the territory
from Mexico to the north pole.
For example, in a speech delivered
at Montreal, Mr.. Borden, after saying
the economic question IN the reciproc-
ity issue was Of secondary Importance,
declared:
shall not do SO without warning. The
president of the United States has
made that plain. I do not think the
ruler OF a friendly people ever al
dressed such a warning as has been ad-
dressed by the president of the United
States 1t is useless, as some Liberal
journals do. to pretend that when Mr..
Taft spoke of the parting or the ways
he had nothing in mind but CONNER
cial treaty, because his words Indicate
that there is an unalterable idea that
when we once get this treaty, we shall
enter upon first. commercial union,
and end by absorption. He said that
Canada has come to the parting OF the
ways In his speech at New York, he
added to it the statement that the
bonds which unite Canada TO the
mother country are almost imper-
ceptible. He said there were forces
which sought to make Canada part of
commercial band reaching TO Eng
land. around the world. and back to
England again, and he called upon
the people Of the United States to see
that the treaty was made at once, in
order that Canada might never be
part of that commercial band
What did Mr.. Taft's words mean!
They mean that this treaty Is designed
by himself and other great statesmen
in the United States as means OF
preventing the consolidation or the
British Empire as far as Canada Is
concerned"
The Annexation Bogie.
This is the annexation boyle in its
calmest aspect. When lesser lights
than the leader of his maJesty's loyal
opposition discuss the subject they as
sert without reservation that the re-
ciprocity scheme was fixed up by the
Washington government at the behest
of the huge trusts of the United
States, that it was forced upon the
spineless Laurier government as
price of the withdrawal of the maxi
mum duties of the Payne Aldrich tar
if law, that 1T was conceived in sell
fishness and born in greed. and that
he who votes for It is disloyal to king
George and an enemy of his country!
Oh. it is a pretty picture they paint!
The American trusts" play full
part in the campaign. 1t was charged
during the time the reciprocity agree
ment was pending in the American