New-York tribune., 1911-02-16

TIE FIGHT TOR RECifhoCif'
The notable victory won in the lowe.
branch of Congress by the advocates VI
reciprocity with Canada is an evidence
of what direct appeal to the coipihon
sense of the nation can accomplish. II
President Taft had followed the anu
ouated method of consulting the powers
that-be in Congress with tDer
doubts and fears and hesitati0ns-there
would have been no action on the rect
procity programme at this session Vi
Congress. Legislators stand in awe oi
anything which Is likely to excite even
ripple Of protest In their constituencies
| If some small percentage Of the voters
at home express alarm the average SELL
ator or Representative begins to see
ghosts" The administrations pro-
gramme won so decisively In the House
because the President did not bargain
| for support of 1t in advance, yielding
something here and something there, but
because he submitted it to the nation at
large on It's merits and left Congress 10
fight the matter out with public sentl-
ment. The House gauged public opinion
correctly. There Is reason to think that
the Senate will be polite enough TO do
| likewise.
| Meanwhile the administration is sedu-
lousy pursuing its campaign of educa-
ton Secretary Knox, under whose di-
rection the agreement was framed. made
an analysis Of It last night at Chicago
! for the benefit of the Chicago Associa-
! tion Of Commerce. His speech exhibited
breadth of view which makes the ar
guments of those who oppose reciprocity
| because it may momentarily disturb ex-
is ting conditions along the Canadian Dor
der seem painfully trivial and pettifog-
| ging. Mr. Knox dealt with the large
and permanent effects on both Canada
and the United States of a renewal OF
/ the closer trade relations which were
unfortunately terminated by the abroga-
| ton in 1866 of the Elgin treaty. Under
! that treaty commerce with Canada had
grown rapidly because both parties TO
| the agreement were even then economl-
callv ready to profit by free exchange or
natural products. They are far more
ready now for a larger measure of ex-
/ change, after forty-fve years Of estrange-
ment due to political not to economic,
causes. As Mr.. Knox justly said: THE
abolition Of the reciprocity treaty of
1854 by the United States marked an
Historic step backward in the trade re-
'lations of the two countries Natural
conditions have made the political boun-
Diary between the two IAN artificial boun-
diary when 1t comes TO production and
commerce" and the true interest Of
both lies In recognizing the fact of inter
| dependence and setting up a system Of
| freer trade which will not in any way
| interfere with the present political status
Of either. This idea was aptly expressed
by Mr.. Knox when he said last night:
| Generous and equitable reciprocal
/ trade relations between the United
! States and Canada are the natural logi-
/ cal and inevitable result of forces that
| began their operation when the North
| American continent was first settled by
| Western Europeans. The pc"iod in the
onward march Of Western civilization
! has now been reached when the devel-
! opment of the vast resources OF Canada
! is necessary for the welfare Of the race.
! The same impelling forces which under
| similar conditions drove the settlers OF
the Atlantic states across the Appa-
lachian range. thence later into the
! Mississippi Valley and across the Rocky
Mountains now cause the adoption Of
! the same measures for the general well
fare in tie progress Of a group of two
! gloat people whose hOmogeneity rests
uuon origin, propinaUity and interde-
| rendence, and not upon political affilia-
| tons.
Reciprocity with Canada is step for.
ward in 4he economic development Of
the Western continent. 1t should not be
hindered by petty local antagonisms or
by fears of temporary injury which are
islmost entirely imaginary