New-York tribune., 1911-02-05
trrnr- TIC TrLhnne Rnrear. J


washington. February J.
TAFT sr-cC'r-VpS President Taft has
e,,ccunbed 10 the logic Of events. he
realizes that he is confronted Dy Co'-
dition and not 2 theory and mas neei'
forced 10 acknowledge that his ldeais re-
earding representative government are I'M
practicable. He will appeal 10 the peopie
to compel their Representative IN congress
10 approve the Canadian reciprocity agree
ment At the corn growers exposition III
Columbus next Friday. before the Illinois
LEGISLATURE next Saturday, and prooa1ly az
the Lincoln Day dinner the same evening"
he will take occasion TO point out the oene-
fits TO be derived from this policy ana
will exert mis- influence 10 promote lop"Idi
support Of a proposition which many fe-
publicans I'm Congress are either openly or
covertly opposing Moreover, the secretary
OF State viii pursue the same course iu bis
address to the Association Of Commerce cl
Chicago on February Is. and probably be-
fore other chambers Of commerce ln that
vicinitv When President Taft entered the
White House il was with "A reluctance t0
any such course When be was urged 70
appeal 10 the people a. against the mem
Ders Of his party N Congress, In order TO
secure a more thorough revision of tho tarin
than was otherwise possible. he vehementiT
declared that fo~ the chief Executive 10
go 20 the people on an appeal from the
judgment OF their chosen Representatives
would constitute reflection on represent
ative government. to which he could not
bring himself. At that time he failed ut
terly 10 compass the length and breadth
and substance OF the seldshness Of those
chosen Representative. lie could not
grasp the extent 10 which they failed 90
represent their constituencies. The Payne
tariff law was the result.
80 AMENDMENTS Chairman Payne
has given notice 20 his associates on the
Ways and Means Committee and. Incl
dentauy. 70 all the Republicans in the
House that there must be no amendments
70 the Canadian reciprocity agreement. 1t
IS a case of take it or leave it, Mr. Payne
has told his associates. and he has eX-
planned that any amendment would ef-
fectively defeat the entire agreement In
the House it will be possible TO bring in
a rule which would preclude all amend
ments but that course cannot be fol-
lowed in the Senate The auk decla-
and Means Committee IS like a red rag
10 a bull to many Senators. The Senate,
il will be recalled, never has rejected
reciprocity treaty. Far from il. All the
Republicans in the Senate are for rec.-
procity, and cordially approve treaties ot
that character. precisely as they now
heartily approve the Canadian agreement.
only they believe II should be modified,
modified just q little you know" Only
so much as will save the special industries
Of each Senator'S state from injury. Now,
there are lninety-two Senators. and were the
agreement so modified as - save from all
hardship the Industries i'm all their states
there would be nothing left 20 trade with
and that would be an obvious way Of de-
feadng the agreement The obvious way
is never the way Of the Senate. The ef-
fective but unapparent is more 20 the taste
Of the skilful statesman IN the upper house
So there Will be no attempt so 20 amend
the agreement as to save All the industries
in their various states on the contrary.
they would add merely one or two small
amendments" having first taken the pre-
caution 10 ascertain beyond peradvenure
that these small amendments Will be- quite
sufficient 70 cause Canada 10 reject the
entire agreement. Then u will be Canada
and not the American Senate which has
rejected reciprocity, and for the obvious
reason that Canada does rot want reci-
procity with the United States fact
which will be reiterated on every appropri-
ate occasion from now until some optimistic
administration Of the future negOt.ates an
other reciprocity agreement At least that
8. the way it would have been had NOT
Mr.. Payne made HIS cruel and raw" dec
laration-and II may re. anyway