The Holly chieftain., 1912-11-01
iNSiNcERiTv AND oEMAGoGisM
or rhlRp TERM CAN
pioATE SHOWN.
WHY he SHIFTED POSITION
He Not Only Favored Reciprocity but
Wrote President Taft That He
Firmly 0siisved in Free Trade
With Canada.

Although reciprocity Is now q dead
issue. it is worth while. for the en-
Iightenment Of those who oppose
President Taft for his endorsement
OF reciprocity, to recall the position
taken by Colonel Roosevelt upon that
question. Mr.. Roosevelt favors free
trade with Canada and was an ardent
advocate and supporter Of reciprocity
until he found that its endorsement
would not help him in his third term
race.
President Tan, while he was con-
sidering the question OF reciprocity,
naturally consulted with exPresident
Roosevelt. He knew that Mr. Roose-
welt had been president. that he was
familiar with the subject and that he
was, at that time, a good and loyal
Republican. When, in the course OF
q lengthy letter. he asked Mr.. Roose-
velt's advice, he reviewed both sides
of the matter In impartial fashion
Mr.. Roosevelt's reply was not only a
full endorsement but he went SO far
as to advocate absolute free trade
with Canada. hr Roosevelt wrote
as follows:
Roosevelt for Free Trade With Canada.
New York. Jan. IL. 1911.
Dear Mr.. President:
It seems to me that what you pro-
pose to do with Canada is admirable
from every standpoint. ! firmly be-
llsve In free trade with Canada for
both, economic and political reasons.
=. 7on aav iasa- cost is substantially
the same IN the two countries. SO
that you are amply justified by the
platform. Whether Canada will ac-
cept such reciprocity do not know,
hut Il 10 greatly 70 your credit to
make the effort.
Ever yours.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT.
Not only In his letter to President
Taft, but also in speeches Mr.. Roose-
velt endorsed reciprocity. At Grand
Rapids, Mich, on February IL. 1911.
he said:
Here, friends, In Michigan, right
on the northern frontier, ! have the
peculiar right to say word Of con-
graduation to you and to all of us
upon the likelihood that we shall soon
have closer reciprocal tariff and trade
relations with the great nation to the
north of US"
And in a speech before the Repub.
iican club of New York city, deliv-
cred on February 13. 1911, Mr.. Roose.
velt gave emphatic endorsement of
President Taft and reciprocity In the
following words
II want to say how glad am at
the way in which the members of the
club here tonight responded to the
two appeals made to them to uphold
the hands of President Taft both in
his effort to secure reciprocity with
Canada and in his effort to secure
the fertilization of the Panama canal"
Explanation Does Not Explain.
In the face OF this record Mr.. Roose-
velt now explains his antagonism to
reciprocity by saying that he did not
fully understand the proposition and
endorsed 1t under q misrepresentation
# its details
Mr. Roosevelt's explanation il un-
worthy of consideration for two rea-
sons. In the first place. man in
his position from whom advice and
suggestion had been sought by the
president of the United States ought
not to admit having hastily endorsed
reciprocity without knowing what he
was doing AS matter of fact. Mr..
Roosevelt's letters and speeches
above quoted are exactly In line with
his record
More than this, Mr.. Roosevelts ex-
PLANTATION 10 an insult to the intelli-