The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1912-10-18
FORMER MASTER
GRANGE TALKS
Continued from LIST page)

Continued from LIST paee.)
pose it and to arouse the members OF
the Grange everywhere and farmers
generally to oppose it as unjust and
dangerous to them. and this l did. l
did all that l could in opposition to the
measure and, in common with the
farmers generally. fought it fairly and
squarely and continuously from start to
finish. appealing to the general public
for assistance and for fair play for the
farmers. This was a serious and
strenuous struggle for the farmers
while it lasted, and we who went
through with it know how to appre-
ciate the support and cooperation we
did get from other citizens, and we
also know how to value the assistance
now proffered by an ambitious poll
tician when the fight is all over.
For there appears to be no further
prospect that such plan of Canadian
reciprocity as we fought against last
year will go into effect or be again
proposed to the American people. The
action of Canada in rejecting the
treaty was decisive and is so much of
a rebuke to the Americans who pro-
NOTED it that public sentiment in this
country now demands that the affair
be considered at an end. Canada has,
within the past year. made great prog
ress in establishing reciprocal trade
agreements with the West Indies and
other parts of the British Empire, and
it is favorite and growing idea
among the people of the Empire to
make liberal arrangements of this sort
among their various dependencies to
the practical exclusion of other ma
tons.
The Farmers' Fair Fight and lust
Judgment.
We who fought President Taft in
the matter of reciprocity fought him
openly, courageously and conscien-
tiously. We fought hard but we were
not unfair and We will not be unfair
now. We are quite accustomed in
our lives to honest differences of opin-
ion among the members of a great
organization. We have gone through
many such differences and hard con-
tests arising from them, but whatever
the result of such contests, we did
not consider it necessary to tear our
selves out of the organization and try
to destroy its possibilities for future
usefulness. Moreover, We have al
ways been able to recognize fairness
and sincerity in an opponent and to
respect these qualities, and also to
recognize unfairness and insincerity in
leaders on both sides and to despite
such meanness. Fairness requires us
to say of President Taft that he is
not trimmer or trifier, and he is
to be judged with regard to all the
responsibilities and conditions of his
high Office.
He did not originate the idea of
reciprocity and he is by no means the
first president who favored it. There
had been reciprocity with Canada from
1855 to 1866 which included the free
admission into the United States of
most of the staple products of Canada.
President Mckinley became an enthu-
siastic advocate of the reciprocity idea
and expressed desire for such agree
ments with many nations. Reciprocity
with France was established in 1898.
Mr.. Roosevelt succeeded Mr.. McKin-
ley as president and carried forward
the reciprocity policy. In his first an
nual message to Congress President
Roosevelt urged reciprocity with Cuba
and practically forced Congress to act,
and this was definitely established in
Decembr, 1908. Mr.. Roosevelt was
president for seven and one-half years,
and it is worthy of note that no other
president since the war has had so
much power and influence and for so
long time continuously as he had
During all the term of his great auth
orship he did not do single thing to
mitigate the circumstances which were
driving US ON toward reciprocity with
Canada. On the contrary, he Off
cially declared in favor of reciprocal
agreement with Canada in a matter
which WIS the keystone of the whole
subsequent reciprocity structure, and
this declaration prepared the way fol-
and impelled forward the conditions
which resulted in the reciprocity treaty
completed under the following admin.
istration.
President Roossvelt's Declaration and
tn Effect.
This declaration BY Presiden,
Roosevelt is so important factor ir
this matter that l am going to read j,
to you word for word. 1t is from
his message>to Congress at the begin.
ming of the first session of the Six
tieth Congress, and is dated at the
White House on December 8, 1907
President Roosevelt declares to Con
gress:
There should be no tariff On any
forest product grown in this coun
try and. In especial, there should b.
no tariff on wood pulp; due notice o.
the change being 81. course given Il
those engaged in the business 90 a
to enable them to adjust Themselves
to the new conditions. The repea
of the duty on wood pulp should. I
possible, be accompanied BY ~
agreement with Canada that thers
shan b no export duty on Canao
ian pulp wood"
Now I am not going to discuss II
this connection the significance of Mr.
Roosevelt's declaration that "ther'
should be no tariff on any forest pro
duct Urovs, II, this country" Of rours(