Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-06-06
TAFT GR|LLS THE
LUMBER|NTERESTS
PRESIDENT, IN CHICAGO TALK,
A60ERTS FARMERS ARE
BEING eUNCOED.
RECIPROCITY OPPOSITION FAXED
70 Of Belief That Public Opinion VIII
Pass Law.-Sees Benefits to
Canada and the United
States Alike.

Chicago, June 5.-Striking straight
from the shoulder, calling a spade 6
spade, and not mincing matters in the
least, President Taft discussed the
reciprocity agreement with Canada
before the Western Economic society
In Orchestra hall in the most able ar
gument in favor of the ratification OF
the agreement thus far uttered.
Exposing the plot of the interests
to block the agreement in the senate,
explaining clearly how the agreement
10 going to benefit every class Of peo'
ple in the United States and paying
his respects to those who are oppos.
ing the agreement, President Taft
made the fiat declaration that the In
terests are disseminating so-called
facts which experience will show to be
false and misleading.
Declaring that Senator Root is one
of those who is actively working
against either the passage of the
agreement by the senate or trying to
30 load it with amendments and "jok-
srs' that the real object will be de-
feated, the president flung down the
gauntlet to the enemies of the meas.
ure and served notice upon them that
he is in the fight to the finish.
President Taft declared that the
principal opposition to the Canadian
reciprocity agreement came not from
the farmer, but from the lumber
trust and from American manufacture
ers of print paper.
In one of the most comprehensive
addresses he has ever made on the
subject, the president outlined some
Of the methods employed by the op-
ponents of reciprocity; practically told
the farmers that they were being bum
coed by special interests, and said
that the fate Of the agreement rested
not 80 much with the United States
as with the people of the country.
II the farmer and the country at
large he said, could be brought to un-
derstand that this treaty was in the
interests of the majority of the people.
he would no longer fear the coming
vote in the senate.
The president was not sparing in
his words. He told the reasons for
the opposition to the treaty by the
lumber trust" and by the paper man.
ufacturers, and without using names
scored New York firm, some of
whose members recently appeared at
the hearings before the senate finance
committee in Washington ostensibly in
behalf of the National Grange and
objected to the enactment of the
agreement.
In spite of the fact that large forces
are arrayed against it, the president
expressed the belief that the agree
ment would become law.
1.-THE bill.' said he, will pass, II
1t passes at all, because of the force
Of public opinion in it's favor.
THE American farmer will suffer no
injury whatever. On the contrary, he
will be benefited by it.
Canada will have 100000 people
some day and it would be short
sighted policy that would fail to pro-
vide means TO capture this trade.
six months from the time the
agreement is ratified there will be no
opposition whatever from any quarter,
for the agreement will prove its own
worth.
Canada cannot and does not raise
more than one-siXth Of one per cent
of the crop Of the United States. The
United States exports into Canada Is
times as much meat and dairy prod
uctS as Canada imports from the
United States.
"The world price Of wheat, barley,
rye and oats is fixed abroad, where
the surplus of the producing coun-
tries is disposed of. and is little affect
ed by the place from which the sup.
ply IL derived.
1.-The reciprocity agreement should
pass the senate and l believe it will
pass"