The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-10-18

| uAS OuSAOOh as 10 ltS WlS0CTl
and public benefit and let me know
his and their judgment. He (Mr.
Roosevelt) replied approving the
agreement in the most enthusiastic
terms and complimenting me for
having brough it forward"
The reply by Mr.. Roosevelt APPROX
ing the reciprocity program is brief
! and It shows us SO we'll his real atti-
tude in this matter | am going to read
It to you, in full, as published. 1t is
dated at the Office of Theodore Roose-
| welt, The Outlook, New York, Ian
uary II, 1911, and reads as follows:
Dear. Mr.. President: at once
took in Your letter and went over
It with the Outlook editors. =
1t seems to me that what you pro-
pose to do with Canada is admirable
from every standpoint. I firmly be-
heve in free trade with Canada for
both economic and political reasons.
As you say. labor cost is substan-
tally the same in the two countries
30 that you are amply justified bv
the platform. Whether Canada will
accept such reciprocity do not
know, but it is greatly to your
credit to make an effort. It may
damage the Republican party for
while but it will surely benefit the
party in the end. especially If you
tackle wool, cotton, etc.. as you
propose"
This letter is signed Ever yours.
Theodore. Roosevelt" From this
letter we learn not only that Mr..
Roosevelt fully approved of Canadian
reciprocity, but also that he favors
entire free trade with Canada. 1t is
important for us to know and remem-
Der this, and while this knowledge
may be surprise to the old associates
| OF Mr.. Roosevelt, who know him best.
tor it is we'll known among them that
in his earlier years Mr.. Roosevelt was
an outspoken free-trader and a men,
Der of the New York Free Trade
Club.
Mr.. Roosevelt did not stop with
this explicit approval Of Canadian re-
ciprocity Contained in this letter to
President Taft. After the reciprocity
agreement was published Mr.. Roose-
welt made speeches in which he ex-
pressed his warm commentator of
the agreemnt and hope that it might
be adopted. In speech a Grand
Rapids, Michigan, on February IL,
1911, he said, as reported by the
Grand Rapids Herald:
Here, friends in Michigan, right
on the Northern frontier, / have
the peculiar right to say a word of
congratulation to you and to all of
us upon the likelihood that we shall
soon have closer reciprocal tariff
and trade regulations with the great
nation to the north of US. (Ap-
plause.) And feel 80 well pleased
primarily because I wish to see the
two peoples, the Canadian and the
American peoples, drawn together
by the closest tie on a footing of
complete equality of interest and
mutual respect. (Applause.) feel
policies of this Republic to establish
the very closest relations of good
will and friendship with the Domin-
ion of Canada. (Applause.)"
And again, in a speech delivered at
the Lincoln Day Dinner at the Wal
dorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, on
February Is, 1911, Mr.. Roosevelt said
II want to say how glad am At
the way in which the members of
the club here tonight respond to
the two appeals made to them to
uphold the hands of President Taft.
both in his effort to secure reciproc-
ity with Canada and in his effort to
secure the fertilization of the Pana-
ma Canal. And in addition to what
has been said about reciprocity with
Canada, I would like to make this
points. 1t should always be q car
dinal point in our foreign policy to
establish the closest and most
friendly relations of equal respect
and advantage with our great
neighbor of the north. And I hail
the reciprocity arrangement because
it represents an effort to bring
q closer, q more intimate, q more
| friendly relationship of mutual ad-
vantage on equal terms between
Canada and the United States"
| These speeches by Mr.. Roosevelt
were made while the farmers were
putting forth every possible effort in
their peculiarly difficult struggle
against the reciprocity agreement. We
needed Mr.. Roosevelt's support then
but we could not get it. We who
were in the fight know how much il
would have meant to our causa
have even one vigorous blast froh
trumpet. 1t would have been The
greatest possible help to us in countel
acting the clamor for reciprocity. The
fact is that Mr.. Roosevelt had two
chances to stop reciprocity-hrst ir
his advice to President to Presiden,
Taft and later in his declarations te
the people. But in the hour of oul
need, when the issue was at stake. an6
reciprocity seemed popular with ths
city people, Mr.. Roosevelt was active
ly at work against us. His present
only worse than useless but also con
tempible. He knows that the Issue
is dead and thinks that it is now en-
tirely safe to trim his sails in thi.
matter to catch the breeze Of thu
farmers favor There is not doub
about his consciousness that the issue
is dead. for he himself has said it
Only a few months ago he was re-
fusing to discuss with agriculturist: