Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-04-04
AS SEEN BY I. A. ELY
interviewed on Political Outlook Pre-
diets Success for G. D. P.

Last Saturday Hon T. A. Ely was
interviewed by the Record reporter
In reference to the sentiment for
Roosevelt and Taft throughout the
state Mr.. Ely said that he believed
ed that to day seventy-five per cent
of the Republican farmers throughout
the middle sections of this state were
for Roosevelt, while the other TWEEN
ty-hve per cent were for Taft. He
said he further believed, that should
President Taft be rcnominated by the
Republican party, one third of the
Roosevelt Republican farmers would
vote for Woodrow Wilson, should he
be the choice of the Democrats next
June at Baltimore. Mr.. Ely bases
these estimates from his associations
with the farmers throughout the
state as State Highway Commits
sioner.
When asked if there was any senti
ment for LaFollette or any other Re-
publican for the Presidency among
the Republicans in the agricultural
districts, he replied that he had found
no marked sentiment for anyone. He
said that the people felt that La
Toilette was out of the race, but he
believed that should there be senti
timent for anyone else, besides
Roosevelt and Taft, it would come
from the Roosevelt following and
that the Taft men would stick to him.
Mr.. Ely explained the agricultu-
rist's opposition to Taft was on ac-
count of the Presidents stand on re-
,eiprocity. He found no other strong
opposition to Mr.. Taft. The Gran
gers and the Cleaners and in fact all
of the farmers societies have dis
cussed the question of reciprocity
over so many times and from the
standpoint of protection that they
have become rock-bound in their op-
position to reciprocity with Canada
and therefore are firm in their oppo-
.s:tion to President Taft.
However, Mr.. Ely does not stand
with the farmers on this question.
He believes reciprocity with Canada
2 can never hurt any class of business
or any section of the country On
tie other hand, Mr.. Ely believes it
will directly benefit all classes and
sections. He holds that there is
nothing to fear to throw Canada wide OPP
en- to American trade that there would
come into existence to American
manufactures great market. The
new market would greatly enlarge
the demand, which would more than
equal the supply and necessarily
cause the growth of industries. Such
a condition could do no other than
bring on greater prosperity all over
the country.
AS to the effect reciprocity would
have upon farm products, Mr.. Ely
pointed out that there would be none
He showed that the freight rates
would make a tariff and hold the price
of grain up. Further that the only
farm products that are grown with
any success in Canada are wheat, bar
ley, potatoes and hay. The latter
three will never prove to be anything
to fear Wheat is the greatest pro-
duct Of the Canadian farmer The
cost of shipping Canadian wheat
TO our milling centers togeter with
the fact that the American farmer
is already unable to supply. the de-
maud and in a few years the demand
will greatly exceed the supply, makes
it perfectly plain that the American
farmer need never fear competition
along this line.
In speaking of the Republican
party's chance in the coming national
election, Mr.. Ely, while acknowledg-
ing that the Republican party was up
against harder proposition than any