The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1911-02-16
Regard Reciprocity Agreement as
Step Toward Tariff-For-
Revenue-0nIy.
SAY 1T SHOULD GO FARTHER
Legislation Essential to Give II Effect
May Force an Extra Session
Danger in Proposed Leases Of
Alaska Coal Lands.
BY WILLIS J. ABBOT.


tain exchanges of tariff schedules
with Canada, or, to use the we'll
known phrase, for a reciprocity"
treaty, he made some friends In the
Democratic party and host of ene-
niles in his own.
The Democrats are not at all dis
contented. The presidential appeal
made in the message submitting the
treaty to congress expresses the Dem
ocratic position from start to finish
For some years Mr.. w. ]. Bryan has
been complimenting the Republicans
upon their acceptance and advocacy
of Democratic ideas. President Taft's
latest message will give the Com
moner" another opening.
Congressman cIayton's Comment.
Representative Henry D. Clayton, Of
Alabama, chairman of the Democratic
caucus, had this to say: THE presi-
dent was evidently advised by some
one who knows politics and who plays
the game better than he does. 1t does
not seem like mere accidental coin
cidence that this message should be
sent to congress the very day that the
tentative ways and means committee
OF the next Democratic house of rep
! bresentatives was to meet Apparent
ly 1t was an effort to spike the Demo
cratic tariff guns. While 1t applies to
but one country, our thriving neigh
Dor in the north, we of the Democratic
party believe that most of its provi-
sions should apply not merely to Can
ada, but to the world at large IT, for
example, we can by a reciprocity
treaty put lumber on the free list with
Canada, why not with Honduras and
Guatemala? If print paper and paper
pulp are to be made free when import
ed from Canada, why not equal free
dom when imported from all other
countries? However, we who stand
for greater freedom of trade with all
the world are glad to accept this lit
tie crumb that falls from the rich
mans table in the White House"
Congressman James T. Lloyd, chair.
man of the Democratic confessional
committee, warmly applauded the
presidential message, with the one
Quallncatlon that it did not go far
enough. Mr.. Lloyd would apply its
principles not merely to Canada. but
to all countries with which we do, or
nope to do, business. However, he
looks on the message as a concession
to the growing tariff for revenue only
sentiment hnH
Gates the fear on the part of the Re-
publican leaders that without such
concession their defeat is assured.
Opposition in Senate.
The wisest of them all In senate or
house, of the members of the present
ways and means committee, or of the
committee which the Democrats have
named to take charge when the Demo
cratic mouse comes into being next De.
cember-or perhaps next month-can
hardly guess what may be the ulti-
mate outcome of the treaty and of the
legislation essential to give effect to
it.
For see how 1t may work out. The
treaty itself goes to the United States
senate for ratification or rejection.
The senate may of course amend It.
put that In sense would be euuiva-
lent to rejection, as the treaty would
then have to 60 back to the Canadian
government. And in the senate there
Will be plenty Of opposition from many
sources. Probably the most influen-
tial force against it will be the two
Massachusetts senators to whom the
sacred Goldfish is an economic deity,
and the spectres of Canadian fisher
men as terrifying as the Flying Dutch.
man to an old-time sailorman. Rough
lumber on the free list is going to dis
tress other Republican senators. nota-
bly, Stephenson of Wisconsin. and
LOrimer of Illinois, whose close asso.
citation with the lumber trust is held
to explain the exertion of certain DOW.
erful interests in opposition to the in.
vest1gation Of the methods of his elec.
ton. Free print paper and pulp will
stir up senators from New York.
Michigan and Wisconsin, while free
agricultural products have aroused
so much because he is opposed t.
that principle as because he discerns
a decided injustice in taking prote :.
ton away from his products while
leaving it, in highest measure, on the
products of the eastern factories and
workshops.
Real Fight In House.
III Aw6 =.
fought out in the house of representa-
tives. And there the possibilities for
a real contest are glorious-that is to
say to those who love political bat
tie as men of an earlier day liked tc
link ships-of-war together with crap
pling hooks ana fight out the issue
muzzle to muzzle and yard-arm tC
yard-arm until the white flag was
finally fiuttering in token Of surren
der.
This is what can be done in the
house IL the fighting blood Of Demo
Gratis and insurgent Republicans runs
red and hot:
To give the Taft reciprocity pro
gram effect a revenue bill must be in
froduced into the house where al
such measures must originate. It hal
been so introduced by Mr.. Mccall o
Massachusetts, q member of the way
and means committee. Now there II
nothing in the world to prevent thu
Democrats, most Of whom l am con
vinced are in favor of the treaty
from offering few amendments Il
the Mccall bill. With proper where
ases.'' ETC., it might be pointed ou
that free rough lumber from Canadi
might be properly supplemented b,
free lumber from the densely tim