The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-02-27
Still Some Small Hope for
Reciprocity.
IF NOT, EXTRA SESSION
April 4 Is the Date Tentatively Selected.
The President Is Clear in Policy
and Firm in His Pur-
pose.

Washington, Feb. 27.--The one man in
Washington who knows exactly where
he stands and what he proposes to do,
and who enjoys the comforts and adyan-
tages which such knowledge gives him,
is the president. Mr.. Taft has not
entirely given up hope Of the passage
Of the reciprocity bill through the Sen
ate during the coming week. He Is
keeping in the closest touch with the
situation and has direct information as
to the stand Of practically each in
dividual senator. Consequently he
knows that he can count upon a vote
OF 80 or more in favor OF reciprocity if
the balloting is once begun. He is also
in touch with the back fires which have
been started in various states so as to
force recalcitrant senator's in line
But it, contrary to his present hopes,
the Senate does not act on reciprocity,
Mr.. Taft will be neither worried nor in
any doubt as to his next step He viii
call an extra session. and the date OF
the extra session viii probably be April
4. although he stated to callers at the
White House Saturday morning that he
had not absolutely settled on that date.
However, it is the date suggested by
Champ Clark and Congressman Under
wood in order to give time for the Demo
Gratis to arrange for their House organ
ization, and the president is disposed at
present TO meet their wish in this mat
ter. But when it was suggested that
in thus suiting Democratic convenience
there might have been on the other side
an offer of Democratic tractability in
promptly putting through the reciprocity
agreement, il was emphatically stated
that the president was not after any
favor from the Democrats or entering
into any dicker with them. lie proposes
to keep on playing the game with the
cards face up on the table.
He realizes that the Democrats in the
House can delay action upon the reei-
procity bill for many months, ii they
wish. and that they can frame various
other tariff measures if they choose be.
fore they give that matter their at
tention But Mr. Taft confidently be-
lieves that any such obvious attempt TO
play politics viii hurt the Democratic
party in the eyes Of the public great
deal more than it will embarrass him.
He is ready to sit by and watch the
Democrats try it if they want to, and
then if any tariff measures OF which
he does not approve are put up to him
he viii unhesitatingly use his veto pow
or. He believes that the reciprocity
agreement which has already been passed
by the House has the clear Endorsement
of large majority of the people Of
the country, and that they will not per-
t,...A L.. N. -. L.. ft,TI
,of it without registering so strong a
disapproval that the Democrats will be
forced to take notice
As for the proposition that the presi-
dent is bluffing in regard to an extra
session, Mr. Taft fails to see how anyone
can now have ground for harboring such
IN idea. He has made his intentions
fs clear as daylight to all who have
talked with him. Those people who viii
doubtless begin Immediately after the
end Of the present session, if the Sen
ate fails 10 act, to urge upon the presi
dent the business depression, etc, which
may be caused by an extra session. will
be wasting their breath. The president
is firm in his purpose and after issuing
his summons for the extra session. he
is not unlikely to 60 south for short
vacation and to play little golf so as
to be in first class fighting trim when
the extra session begins
The rumor is still persistent that Sen
ator Aldrich will be in Washington to
take hand to-day. But while he may
appear there does not yet seem to be
any definite ground for expecting him.
In fact, the telegraphic message which
he has sent to Senator Wetmore ask
ing his colleague to make sure that he
is paired in favor of the treaty would
indicate that he does not expect to be
present