Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1911-05-18
Our Washington Letter.
Washington, May 10, 1871

10 carry water on both shoulders anu 10
place party success above principle. The
party of protection. the Republican party,
is naturally expected TO be firm in the
"stand- pat' principles advocated by Sen
ator Scott and proclaimed by him in the
heat of the last campaign. But President
Taft, realizing that high tariff is doomed
and hoping the Republican party may
reap some OF the benefits to follow re-
duction of the high tariff under which the
country is now grooming, has demanded
a reduction OF certain tariff duties, and the
Republican majority in the Senate now
faces the proposition OF reducing tanif
duties or repudiating Republican Presi-
dent who is as certain to be renominated
as the sun is to rise tomorrow.
The Canadian reciprocity bill, removing
the duty from Canadian farm and other
products imported into the United States,
in exchange for which Canada is to re-
move its duty on numerous manufactured
articles imported from the United States.
is now before the Republican Senate;
having been passed by the Democratic
House along with the "farmerS' free list"
bill, removing the duty from the articles
of every day use by farmers and others.
Because the reciprocity bill has been
urged and vigorously supported by the
Republican President, who is expected
to be the Republican nominee for the
presidency in 1912, the Republican Senate
dares not reject the measure and it will
pass.
But when if comes to passing the
farmers free list" bill, removing the
duty on various manufactured articles
used by the farmer, the Republican Sen
ators are likely to balk. The adoption
OF the free list bill by the House Demo-
Gratis has placed the Republican Senators
in a peculiar and dangerous position.
They have TO pass the reciprocity bill,
putting Canadian farm products in direct
competition with the products OF the
American farm, but when it comes to
taking off the duty from manufactured
articles which the farmer needs in his
every day duties, they will not know
what course to pursue.
If the Republicans pass the free list bill,
they will have taken long step toward
the abandonment of the principle OF pro-
lection, which has been the foundation OF
the Republican party, and will antagonlze
the manufacturers who have been con-
tributing to the Republican campaigns and
reaping their reward by having their tariff
duties maintained so they can sell their
products for higher prices than they could
sell them otherwise.
If the Republicans refuse TO pass the
free list bill, and it appears now that they
will, they will place the farmer in the
position ofhaviug to sci! in an unprotected
market while buying in a protected one,
and already 10000 farmers in the great
northwest section of the country have
expressed in writing their intention to
vote against the Republican nominees
hereafter il they do so.
Consequently, the Republicans, through
their course in the Senate, must antago-
nize either the farmer or the manufacturer
and must either proclaim by their votes
that protection has robbed the farmer in
the past, or must admit that it is intended
only for the manufacturer and not for the
farmer In either event they will lose
many votes in the next election, and it is
freely admitted by Republicans here that
nothing can prevent the success OF the
Democratic national ticket at the election
of 1912.
The West Virginia Democratic Con-
gresSmen all voted for the reciprocity bill
as we'll as for the free list bill, considering
that the two together tend to reduce the
cost Of living for all classes OF people
without injuring any one, although if the
reciprocity bill is passed without the free
list bill it is believed the farmer will be
injured. The Senators from West Viz
ginia will both vote for the two bills in
the Senate.
Senator Watson has introduced an
amendment TO the Canadian reciprocity
bill providing that Canadian bituminouS
coal shall be admitted TO the United States
free of duty whenever bituminouS coal
from the United States is admitted free OF
duty into Canada. Senator Watson is
probably more heavily interested in the
production of coal than any other West
Virginian, or possibly any other Ameri-
can, and he does not fear Canadian COM
petition nor want protection. On the
contrary, he believes that the removal OF
all duty on coal shipped between this
country and Canada in either direction
would open market in Canada for vast
quantities of West Virginia coal, eSpec-
tally from the southern part OF the State,
where he is not interested, and he will
endeaYor 10 nave his amendment ADOPT
ed in the interest of the coal industry in
West Virginia.
In the voting for president pro tempore
of the Senate last Thursday, when a par
liamentary battle was being conducted,
with a three sided contest on in which
the Democrats, Republicans and lnSur-
gent Republicans were taking part, the
Democratic leader was Senator Bailey, OF
Texas, and by his side through the fight
was Senator Chiffon, who offered the
Texas Senator many suggestions as to
the course to pursue. Senator Bacon, a
Democrat, received plurality OF the votes
OF the Senate, but it was held that ma
jority was required, so no president pro
tempore was elected. The Insurgent