The Washington herald., 1911-07-23
Now Up to Canada.

At last the time has arrived for al
who have been interested in the long
drawn debates and long-delayed actor
on reciprocity to sing the doxology
The reciprocity agreement, so far as tn
United States is concerned, is a law
The burden of further action now shift
across the boundary to Canada. At las
all has been done that the United State!
can do toward clinching this interna
tional agreement for better relation:
and mutual advantage
The Presidents courageous stand foI
the measure, based upon his consci-
entious convictions as to its beneficial
workings. led to internal strife within
his own party to such an extent that
he was compelled to depend upon the
Democrats for material aid. The multi
tudinous and varying interests in the
commercial and industrial field, due to
geographical and tariff causes, led to
strong opposition to reciprocity, which
some honestly believed, and others were
made to believe for political reason
would tend TO ruin certain industries
and would adversely affect the farmer.
Now. however, the agreement is a fact
accomplished All the difficulties have
disappeared in Washington. where, at
the outset, they were thickest, while
they have grown more formidable at
Ottawa, where early indications were
for a smooth road for the bill The
expected mastery of the Canadian
Parliament has not been demonstrated
BY the Laurler cabinet, and the opposi-
ton has been able to postpone a vote
until the American decision was
reached, under the guise of Letting all
politics rest until the coronation" The
real cause lay deeper. The opposition
from the outset meant to defer settle
ment Of the issue by Parliament and
to have it decided by the people at an
election
the Ottawa house and the government
insist upon continuous sessions. the
bill may be forced through, but it
would be followed by dissolution and
new election, which means that the
voters indirectly would be called upon
to ratify or to reject the action of the
old majority In other words, the effect
would be one of submitting the ques-
tion to a referendum. Mr. L.aurier
shows abundant confidence in the out
come of such an appeal to the people,
should the opposition force it. So does
Mr.. Borden, the Conservative leader.
Both profess a sweeping victory, should
such an election be held, which probably
would be in October.
From our side it is not so easy to
foresee the result of such a contest.
The Canadian Northwest may safely
be counted solidly in favor of reci-
procity. Ontario. with its vast lake
shipping and industrial interests, CELL
tered at Toronto, looks doubtful. The
Maritime Provinces ought to vote for
the plan, owing to the advantages ac-
cruing to them from their geographical
POSITION. Quebec is not enough inter
csted, and the vote there may largely |
depend upon local issues, while British |
Columbia, as far as can be learned at |
this distance, is uncertain
As to the results from reciprocity
itself, so much has been said on both
sides, in the press, that little remains
to be added at this late day. If trade
IS a good thing, it certainly should be |
stimulated between nations living prac-
tically upon the same plane, working
under substantially the same conditions, I,
and enjoying, relatively, the same advan-
tages. If. therefore, there is any coun-
try on the face of the globe with which
the United States should create and
maintain freer trade conditions, il is
Canada As 10 the prognosticated bad
effect of reciprocity upon our own
Northwest, North and South Dakota
and Montana alone have almost forty.
nine million more acres OF farm land I
than Northwestern Canada. Our farm
sr have been led 70 believe that reci-