Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-07-19

been accomplished. and now 1t il over
thrown by this arrangement I begged
for the amendment that would re-
serve to our government the power to
preserve to the American farmer the
right to enter the markets OF his own
country upon fair relative rates with
his Canadian competitor. 1t humili-
ated me to know that even had to ask
for q right so fundamental and SO OBJ
vious; but asked in vain The same
combination voted the amendment
down by the same majority. There was
not a voice raised against 1t In ar
gument. Every senator seemed to as
sent to its Justice; but it went down
under the unreasoning force Of the
unrighteous unders landing that the bill
must be passed Observation-Disclosures
the crossing of a "t' or the dotting OF
an So.
The Deadly Parallel.
Before l close / want to say word
with regard to the charge OF inconsis-
tency which has been made against
me by some OF the newspapers-some-
times with honest Misrepresentation.
and sometimes with malicious enmity.
In January. 1904. in delivering an in
augural as governor of Iowa, / said:
Let us not be content with mere
distractions. 1t has been possible to
make. and in my judgment it is still
possible to make, a treaty with Cam
ada which would for years to come
make us practically masters OF the i'm
ports into that dominion. In the last
ten years American manufacturers
have expended $100.0Oo.O 900 in the es-
Establishment Of plants In Canada which
would have been kept at home. with
all the labor which that implies, if
there had been a fair and permanent
relation existing between the two coun-
tries. Not only so. but every student
of affairs knows that the chance we
now have across the border will be
completely destroyed unless we treat
with our neighbor upon a fair reci-
procal basis. The farmers OF Iowa
have lost something in the foreclosure
Of the opportunity to feed the men who
are operating the plants to which
have referred, and they will lose more
when Canada raises the barriers 50
that England. France. and Germany
will supply the materials for the Won
derful development upon which she
is just entering and which we are so
well prepared to supply. 1t has been
said that In order to obtain these
changes 1t will be necessary for us
to let into our markets Canada'S agri-
cultural products. or some Of them.
believe this to be partially true;
but let me ask the farmers of Iowa
whether they think they would lose
in the exchange? Which would you
rather do, lose the market which could
be created by our vast imports into
Canada or meet Canada in compett.
ton in the things which you produce?
assert confidently that in the sharp
struggle with Illinois, Wisconsin. Min
nesota. the Dakotas. Nebraska. Kansas,
and Missouri, you would never be able
to discern the influence OF Canada in
corn, oats, barley. hay. cattle, horses,
hogs, butter and eggs"
In 1911 I am opposing the proposed
arrangement because, among other
things, I believe it to be unfair and
unjust to require the farmer to sell
all his products. in, free competition
with Canada, ard buy everything he
must buy under excessive. and often
times prohibitive protective duties.
do not hesitate to change my opin-
ions when I am convinced that I have
been wrong, and If there were any in
consistency between these two posi-
tons I would not hesitate to avow It;
but the man who asserts that there is
any repugnance between what I said
in 1904 and what I am saying and
doing in 1911 Is either. ignorant OF the
subject of guilty of deliberate false
hood.
In 1904 We were. with respect to the
chief products of the farm. upon an
export basis, and there was not sub
stantial difference between the price
Of these products in Canada and In the
United States For instance, our pro-
duction of wheat for the year 1903
was 670,063.00S bushels. and our eN.
port Of wheat and -four (reduced to
bushels) was 202,905.59S bushels. or
1925 per cent In 1910 our production
Of wheat was Cos $4,000 bushels. and
our export Of wheat and flour (reduced
to bushels) was s7,364,317 bushels. or
1885 per cent Free trade with Cam
ada In wheat In 1904 would not have
reduced the price. Since that time we
have so nearly reached equality OF
consumption and production that we
now have q domestic price. not alto
gether Independent of the world price.
but oftentimes higher than the world
price less cost of transportation anu
incidental expense.
ears ago UelSiucu NulE u S'.Sf
per ton on steel rails. and the duty
was defensible from every point OF
view. In 1911 I think it is close
question whether there should be any
duty on steel rails. and certainly not
more than $3.50 per ton. Is there any
inconsistency between these two posi-
tons? Moreover. when I advocated the
partial admission OF free agricultural
products in 1904. the consideration that
I proposed for it was concession from
Canada that would give us the mastery
Of her market in our manufactured
products. We were to get not only as
good terms as any other nation. but
better terms than any other nation.
If anybody had suggested to me In
1904 that we would open our markets
to the agricultural products Of Canada
without securing a corresponding adj
va mage in her markets Tor orr manu-
featured products I would have re-
jected the proposition as emphatically
as / do now.
At this time Canada seems deter
mined not only to build up manufac-
turing system which will be rival
of our own, but she insists on. giving
to her mother country lower duties than
she will give to US, and as good terms
to every other nation as she will give
to us. Under such conditions there