The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-04-23
Fear Republican Split on
Question of Reciprocity
May Hurt Mr.. Taft's
Chances Next Year.
WESTERN FARMERS
OPPOSE THE TREATY
Democrats to Introduce Free
List Bill in the House This
Week; Chances Against
It's Passage.

BY Leased Wiro TO The Tribune.
WASHINGTON. April 22,-The rad
zeal division in Republican ranks shown
in the split vote on the Canadian recI>
procity bill when it passed the house
is today an anxious topic of discussion
among the friends of President Taft.
.'What will be the effect of reel.
procity on Mr.. Taft S chances for re-
nomination. is the question being
asked TODAY by the president S political
advisers. They are confronted by the
fact of record that seventy-eigbt Re
publieans voted against the bill and
only sixty-sevcn for it.
The Republican lineup on reciproc-
itv, the more il is studied by the ad'
minlstration whips, the more 1t causes
them to speculate as to the ultimate eff
feet Of the fight on the political for
tunes of the president.
\ survey of the Republican vote
makes 1T clear that the great opposi'
tion TO Canadian reciprocity comes
from th. agricultural classes and espe'
clally from the people in what is known
as the agricultural middle west. The
farmers and poultry growers and The
producers OF butter, cheese and eggs
arc opposed to reciprocity because they
fear it Will put Canadian farmers i'll II
position 30 undersell American farmers.
This would mean lowering OF prices
for American farm products.
Theory of President Friends.
As against this view is the positive
belief of President Taft and his friends
that reciprocity will help rather than
f.. L,
DO practical difference. according to
the Taft argument whether Canadian
competition is met in Chicago and Bos.
ton or in London and Liverpool If il
turns out that the president is right
he viii not suffer politically. his ad
visers say, by his Democratic posi-
ton on reciprocity
The Democrats. after a further con
ference today. appear TO be united in
the determination to lay the "farmers
free list bill before the house nexi
week,
If the free list measure is killed in
the senate. or if it passes the senate
and is knocked in the head by Presi
dent Taft, it is not Democratic
funeral, the followers OF Champ Clark
assert. with far from solemn faces
The reciprocity bill will 20 TO Tho
senate Monday and will be referred tC
the finance committee. As that com
mittee Is not yet organized and a!
there is a fight ON amoug the RepubH
cans over its organization. the dispo
sition OF the bill in committee is un
certain.
Will Try to Amend in Senate
One element will surely seek 10 amen,
the agreement in committee by provid
ing for free admission of additional ar
ticleS from Canada. If Senator Sim
mons goes on the committee he will leaC
in this effort Another element will try
to amend it bv providing for free listin!
from all countries of various articles
used by the farmer Senator McCum
ber will lead in this movement. He i
regular Republican and n high tariff
man who is opposed TO the agreement
At the same time Senator McCumbe
and those who share his views are no
/ prepared to accept the Underwood FIRE,
| list which the house Democrats vii
adopt. Senator Bailey will lead Dem
! ocraiic element opposed absolutely u
reciprocity and/Senator Stone will lca'
/ n Democratic element IN favor of tb
/ agreement without amendment Thu
/ the committee is likely to be badly spill
| up and several reports from the com
! mittee are not unlikely. As matte
/ of fact, however, too much importanc
/ need not be given TO the action of tn,
/ finance committee. There will be bi;
| fight on the floor in any event and tn
! fate Of the measure Will be determine,
thcre-not in committee, The eXpec
\ tation now is that the first really doubt
I, full battle of the special session viii
rage in the senate when RECIPROCITY
comes up, when everything possible vii
/ be attempted to cripple the agreement