Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1922-03-11

tanada, IN the person of W. s.
Fielding. Minister OF Finance. has
come 10 Washington in sackclo,h TO
repent what it did i'm 1911 In a mood
of panic eupcrlnduced by political de-
nagogy. II voted down n reciprocity
agreement offered by President Taft
and passed by the American Congress.
Now that America has stood by It's
side IN tho World war and tho dark
suspicious which thrive on ignorance
have been lifted, the Canadian ma
iority party IN undertaking TO recant
the adverse action taken at the polls
IL years ago. And the form which
Canada's change Of heart has taken
In an endeavor TO prevent the schedui-
ed Fordney tariff bill from multiplying
the old reciprocity net which remains
on the statute books.
But tho question with which We are
now confronted is whether, during the
period In which Canada has arisen
from her night Of distrust and narrow
nationalism. the United States, as
represented In It's present Congress,
has not slipped back 10 tho provincial
ism OF the Canada OF yesterday WIN
the Fordney bill DO passed in its pres
| ent form In abrogation OF tho reel
.procity net? Is America to look back
TO Taft. even TO Mckinley, for liberal
and enlightened policy. on trade re-
lntions with our nearest and friend
Hest neighbor?
1t Is Canada's turne 10 take the
| lead In renewing reciprocity relations
since. Il was Canada that broke them
| off. But 81 primacy in trade interest
were TO determine the initiative in re-
Dewal the United States ought TO be
taking the lead. for our producers sell
to Canada goods worth $50 to everS
dollars worth OF Canadian goods sold
to American consumers. Our farmers
may be fearful OF Canadian competi.
ton in agricultural products. but re.
cent experience has been that tn,
emergency tariff bill passed last May
including protective duties on farm
products. did not prevent farmers
from having the worst price year the,
have experienced in a decade.
The economic hope OF the American
farmers is in low tariff duties or N
duties at all. High tariffs only IN
crease the cost of the things he buy
without proportionately increasing o
Increasing at ali the prices OF what h
sells. Tho farmer and city consume
can stand together for reciprocal
trade relations not only with Canad
but with all the world.-St. Louis Pos
Dispatch.
Either Congress does not take Pres
ident Harding seriously about I'll
bonus. or the President does not TAX
, Congress seriously. or neither Of thel
takes the Bonus Bill seriously.
Mr.. Harding continues 10 say ths
'he is still of the same mind" that h
9 was when he declared that a sales ia
OF a postponernent of the proposed les
islatiou was all he had TO suggest. NJ
o Fordney, however, has introduced h
, adjusted service credits" Bonus Bi
4 serenefy indifferent TO everything thi
!, has come out of the White House. II
. President has had an interview vii
4 MIR, Fordney. but does not recall tn
the subject of the bonus was me-
toned" Presumably they talked abo
= the plesiosaurus which is said to ha
"a iuttAA sSNAA IA a alhbOlAaeiAA liNNs
- In the case Of almost any 9th
=, President 1t could have been assum
= that Congress was wasting its time
= trying to enact legislation that w
sure TO be vetoed. but with Mr.. Har
ing one cannot be certain that an
;, thing he has said indicates the sligf
/, est intention on his part TO exerci
his constitutional power. In the Ia
:, analysis Mr.. Harding regards par
- harmony as the ultimate object
government, and IL Congress &c
+, ahead with the Fordney bill Mr.. His
,a ding's good nature is again likely
triumph over his judgment.
10 Plainly enough the Republican les
i, ers In the House do not care WI
~ happens IL the Bonus Bill is pass
along 10 the Senate and can be point
A. to by the Republican RepresentatiN
90 next fall as a proof OF their claim
the soldier vote in the November els
=, ton. They have taken the bit in tn
- teeth and have run away with the A
- ministration. Probably too they {
~ counting on the Senate TO save
20 party from the consequences of tn
folly-New York World.