Salt Lake Tribune | 1911-04-23 | Page 1 | Friends Show Anxiety over the Division

FRIENDS SHDW ANXIETY Mfi THEDIVISION Fear Republican Split . on Question of Reciprocity , May Hurt Mr. Taft's Chances Next Year. . WESTERN FARMERS OPPOSE THE TREATY Democrats to Introduce Free List Bill in the House This , Week; Chances Against Its Passage. . By Leased Wira to The -Tribune. ' . ' WASHINGTON. April 22. The radical rad-ical division in '.Republican ranks shown' jn the split vote on the Canndian reci'-procity reci'-procity bill when it passed the house j is today an anxious topic of discussion among the friends of President Taft. "What will 'be the effect of reciprocity reci-procity on Mr. Taft 's chunces for rc-nomination'?" rc-nomination'?" is the question being asked today by; the president s political advisers. They. are confronted by the fact of recgrd that seventy-eight Republicans Re-publicans voted againBt the bill and onlv sixty-sovn for it. The Jiepubhenn line-lip on reciprocity, reciproc-ity, the more it is studied by the administration ad-ministration whips,' the more it. causes them to speculate as to the ultimate effect ef-fect of the light .on tho political fortunes for-tunes of the president. A survey of' the Republican vote 'makes -it clear that the. great opposition opposi-tion to Canadian reciprocity conies from tha agricultural classes and especially espe-cially from fluMioooIc in what is known as the agricultural middle west. The farmers and poult ry-growcrs and the producers of butter, cheese and eggs are opposed to reciprocity because tlioy fear it will put Canadian farmers in u position to undersell American ''farmers. This would mean a lowering, of prices , for American farm products. Theory of President's Friends. . As-against this view is the positive, belief of President. Taft and his friends 'that reciprocity will help rather than hurt the American farmer. 'It makes ;iio practical dilVerence. according to the Taft argument, whether Canadian competition is moL in Chicago and Boston Bos-ton or in London and Liverpool. If it turns out that the president is right ho will not suffer poliiicalh'. his advisers ad-visers say, bv his " Democratic " position posi-tion on reciprocity. ' The Democrats, after a further conference con-ference today, appear to be united in the determination to lay the "farmers' free list bill" before the house next week. If the free list measure is killed in the senate, or if it passes the senate and is knocked in the head by President Presi-dent Taft, it iu' not a Democratic funeral, the followers of Champ Clark assert, with far from solemn faces'. ; The reciprocity bill will go to the senate Monday and will bo referred to the finance committee. As that committee com-mittee is not yet organized and as there is a fight on amoig the Republicans Republi-cans ovor its organization, the disposition dispo-sition of the bill in committee is uncertain. un-certain. Will Try to Amend in Senate. One element will surely seek to amend tho agreement in committee by providing provid-ing for free admission of additional articles ar-ticles from Canada. If Senator Simmons Sim-mons goes on the committee he will lead iu this effort. Another clement will try to amend it hy providing'.for free-listing from all countries of Yrious articles used by the farmer. Senator MeCum-ber MeCum-ber will lead in this movement, lie is a regular Republican and a high taritf man who is opposed to the agreement. At the tame time Senator McCumbor and those who share his viows are not prepared to accept the Underwood free list which the house Democrats will 'adopt. Senator Bailey will lead a Democratic Dem-ocratic element, opposed absolutely to reciprocity amiSenator Stone will lerifl a Democratic Element in favor of the agreement without nmendment. Thus the committee is likely to be badly split up and several reports from tho committee com-mittee are not unlikely. As a matter of fact, however, too much importance need not be given to the action of the finance committ.ee. Therr- will be a big fight on the floor in, any event and the fate of Hie measure will bo determined there not in committee. The expectation expec-tation now is that the fir.t really doubtful doubt-ful battle of the special session will rage iu iho senate when reciprocity coiues up, when everything possible will I be attempted to cripple tho agreement.