Weekly journal-miner., 1911-03-29

Pennsylvania, both representing dis tricts given over to manufacturing and extremely well protected by the present tariff, with tears in their voices said that it was most unfair to the American farmer because it took away the protection given his products. They could not complain that their own interests were injured because the agreement does not touch them; but they did go on to say that this was step toward free trade which, once taken, might lead to disaster. Their argument reminds me ! of a story told of certain boarding house keeper. As sne brought in the breakfast coffee to one of her board CTS she said, "Good morning, it looks like rain." He said, "Yes, it does look like rain but it smells like coffee" And the speeches of these two eminent gentlemen look like brotherly interest in the farmer but they smell suspieiously like self-in- terest. Some congressman called the measure unrepubliesn because the democrats adopted it in caucus. But it should not be called un-republiean for this reason. It ought to be pos sible, once in a while, for both part ies to recognize and agree upon a good, economic measure-and this is one. Against Moore and Dalzell, I prefer take the word of real farmer, Secretary Wilson. He says the plan will benefit the farmers. As a republican, I prefer to stand with Taft in favor of such a measure than with those So deeply in love with the protective theory that they worship it as a political god.
 Republicans once believed it was impossible to have a tariff too high. Horace Greedy said the tariff on pig iron should be one hundred dollars ton and everything else in propor- tiOn, but the growth of great trusts and combinations behind the tariff | well has caused republicans to modify | the doctrine so that now we must | stand or fall on the proposition laid | down in the last National platform and reiterated by President Taft. "The protective tariff on any in. dustry ought not to exceed more than the difference between the cost of production abroad and the cost at home and enough to give a fair profit to the domestic producer and 
 Admittedly, this is the doctrine upon which the republicans stand to- day and the Canadian reciprocity agreement, as has been pointed out by MT. Taft, is directly in line with this principle for the reason that the cost of production in Canada and in the United States is practically the same. Conditions are almost identical and we should have free trade be-
 
 there is no excuse whatever for any tariff wall between this country and any other country where the industri- al conditions are the same.
 I will reverse the order and give you the text which I have chosen TOT this talk at the close. It is found in President Taft's message to congress transmitting the proposed reciprocity agreement He said. 'We have reached a stage in our development that calls for a statesman-like and broad view of our future economic status and its requirements.
 Both the tariff board and the Can adian reciprocity agreement are meas ures directly within this proposition. The overwhelming majority of the great leaders and thinkers in both parties favor them. From the very origin of the republican party "Re- has been its watehwOrd. Democrats have always favored it because it was in line with the principle of free trade and a perman- ent tariff commission has been urged by the best statesmen for over fifty years.
 Prophecies are seldom fulfilled; but President Taft has snown himself to be great man on more occasions than one. He has strenuously advo- cated these measures in the face of opposition in his own party. He can not be given the credit for initiating them because they have been advo- eated for years. But it is one thing to favor a policy and another to put it into effect and my prophecy is that if he succeeds in putting these measures into effect the future his torian in writing the record of today, after the strife and bitterness of the