The Commoner.
WILLIAM J. BRYAN, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR
m
VOL. 11, NO. 38
Lincoln, Nebraska, September 29, 1911
Whole Number 558
Reciprocity Defeated Some of the Causes
The overthrow of the liberal government in
Canada on the reciprocity issue ends the hope
of the treaty at this time and probably for years.
The natural result of the rejection by Canada
of the overtures made by the United States will
be an increase in the tariff in Canada and a dis
inclination on the part of the United States to
take up the subject of reciprocity again soon.
It is, considering all that has occurred, unfortu
nate for two reasons that the subject was
brought forward:
. In the first place it has given protectionists
of Canada a' chance to appeal to any anti
American prejudice that exists there and it
muBt be admitted that there is such prejudice. It
Ms greater in quantity and more intense than was
supposed, has been studiously fanned for parti
san purposes until it has developed into a flame
which it will require time to extinguish.
Unless there IS a real and active feeling
against the people of the United States it is
difficult to understand how the people of Canada
could have attached as much importance as
they did to Speaker Clark's declaration In favor
of annexation. He said, in suporting the reci
procity measure: "I am in favor of the reci
procity treaty because I hope to see the day
when the American flag will float over every
square foot of the British possessions clear to
the north pole."
This was a very Jndiscreet utterance for one
occupy iirgTToslttoTrTJf" authority and was at'
once condemned by the friends of reciprocity
in Canada, and it wa3 kept before the people of
the dominion.
A few American papers were unwise enough
to advocate annexation some may have done
so with the hope of defeating reciprocity, arid
all such editorials were reproduced.
President Taft's speeches were construed as
reflecting upon Canadian attachment to Great
Britain. The cartoons represented the presi
dent as trying to force the American flag down
.the throats of the Canadians. The cartoons of
the president were anything but respectful and
the language" employed in denouncing him was
worse than the cartoons.
In this issue will bo found an attack,
based on the affidavit of "one of the most promi
nent citizens of Montreal" (name not given.)
This appeared In the Ottawa Journal, published
at the capital, and was reproduced by the con
servative papers throughout the country.
In this issue will also be found a poetic ap
peal published by conservative papers.
The protected manufacturers used the same
coercion which has been so successfully em
ployed in the United States.
The St. John Telegram, the morning of tho
election, published the following:
WARNING TO ALIj VOTERS!
"With tho idea of Intimidating votors In their
employ, mombcrs of conservative business houses
In this city yesterday circulated personally among
their men tho following Infamous circular, sup
plied from Tory headquarters In Toronto and
printed In black typo:
"This Firm Is Opposed to Reciprocity
or any mcasuro that would Injure
British Connection or tho Industries
and Farming Interests of Canada."
-Men of St. John, this sort of thing should bo
resented at tho polls.
Every man's vote Is his own sacred right and
property. Bo men! Voto your own way! Do not
bo intimidated lfi exercising tho sacred right of
manhood suffrage.
The second reason for regretting that tho
reciprocity agreement was brought forward
(now that it has failed) is that it turned atten
tion away from the real reason for tariff reduc
tion and laid emphasis upon the idea that a
tariff tax hurts tho FOREIGNER instead of tho
consumer at home.
In the discussion on both sides of tho lino
the question seemed to be "which gets the most
benefit from the reductions made by tho other?"
The insurgents opposed tho treaty on the ground
that we were giving Canada more than wo were
getting at least that the faTraers were, and
the Canadians opposed it on theTground that
they wero getting tho worst of tho trade. Even
the fact that tho United States ratified tho
agreement was urged as proof that Canada
would lose moro than she gained.
(See argument published in the St. John
Globe on election day, reproduced on another
page.)
Whenever a reciprocity agreement Is pro
posed the balancing of benefits is necessarily
the paramount question. The democrats favored
the Taft-Laurier agreement' BECAUSE IT
MADE A BEGINNING AT TARIFF REDUC
TION. Now that it has been rejected it is the part of
wisdom to proceed with tariff reduction FOR
THE BENEFIT OF OUR OWN PEOPLE with
out waiting for the aid or consent of any other
nation.
Protectionists in this country will use Cana
da's action as an excuse for oposing reductions
but democrats will not, out of spite, permit con
tinued extortion by the tariff barons of this
country merely because the tariff barons of
Canada are to bo permitted to continue their
impositions on our northern neighbors.
ft
CONTENTS
RECIPROCITY DEFEATED
CHAMP CLARK'S COMMENT ON CANADA
ELECTION
STRANGE, INDEED
WHAT TRUST WOULD BE ABSOLVED
UNDER THE SUPREME COURT DECISION
"AFTER A TIME"
ORGANIZING DEMOCRATIC PRECINCT
CLUBS
JUDICIAL TYRANNY IN OHIO
"I HAVE DONE WITH COMPROMISE,"
SAYS FRANK P. WALSH OF MISSOURI
PRACTICAL TARIFF TALKS
NEWTON D. BAKER
Tiniinn tvrpartment
WHETHER COMMON OR NOT
NEWS OF THE WEEK
WASHINGTON NEWS
A CAMPAIGN POEM "THE UNCROWNING
OF CANADA"
Lord God of our fathers be with us, rise up at Thy
peoplo's cry,
For blindness has stricken our rulers, and tho fate
of our land draws nigh.
.Rise up, lest we falter, and save us; they have put
a strango song In our mouth r
For our rulers would barter our birthright for tho
gold of tho Kings of tho South.
"Thou hast given us long, deep forests to guard
with their music and dreams.
The milk-white snows of tho winter, which water
our land with their streams;
Thou hast given us prairie empires whose boun
daries pillow the stars,
Thou hast given us mountain ranges with our
hands wo have broken their bars.
Thou hast crowned us with wealth and dominion;
we have girded the sea to the sea
As a potter would fashion a vessel we are mold
ing tho nation to be.
The centuries open before us, East and West aro
the doors for our feet,
And the smllo of Thy fayor Is on us the name
of our country Is sweet.
Begotten of free-born peoples, lords of the land
and the flood,
Wo have mingled our blood In battles and sealed
our charter with blood;
Who are wo,- then, to squander our kingship for
the lure of an alien land?
To bring them our loaves and our fluhen, and bow
ouruelvuu under their hund?
Lord God of our fathers be with us, rlao up at Thy
peoplo's cry.
For blindness has stricken our rulers, tho fate of
our land draws nigh.
Rlso up. lest wo falter, and savo us, and blast
with tho lire of Thy mouth
Tho treason that offers our birthright for tho gold
of tho Kings of tho South.
FREDERICK GEORGE SCOTT.
A CAMPAIGN AFFIDAVIT
From tho Halifax Herald: Ottawa, Scptcmbor
18 A profound sensation was caused In Ottawa
tonight through tho following romarkablo revela
tion published In tho Ottawa Journal, (Ind.):
"Tho Journal has conic into possession of sworn
documents secured by tho Thiol dotcctlvo service
of Canada, which absolutely incriminate President
Taft of being not only tho sworn abettor, but tho
secret originator of tho Infamous Hearst propa
ganda. Tho ovidenco is irrefutablo and irresis
tible This In tho most damning charge ever hurled
against tho chief oxccutlvo of a supposed friendly
nation, and tho Journal offers proof of Its asser
tions to tho very hilt.
THE CHARGES SUBSTANTIATED BY
AFFIDAVIT
"Ono of tho most prominent citizens of Montreal,
a man well-known in Ottawa, being duly sworn
on Saturday last, makes aflldavlt of tho following
startling charges:
"Ho becamo quito friendly with Mr. William
Hostcr, for tho past ton yearn the oxccutlvo cor
respondent In Washington for tho Hearst news
papers. Hostcr told of tho presont work In Canada.
JlIq was soro at being sont to Canada at this tlnte,
because ho was enjoying a vacation at Beverley,
Mass., with President Taft. HoBtcr aald that h&
had been sent hero at tho Instance of President
Taft
'THE INSTRUCTIONS RECEIVED FROM
WILLIAM R. HEARST
"Ills instructions for tho trip, however, had been
received from William Randolph Hearst, In whoso
employ he had been for the past ten years. Hearst,
who is now in Europe, had cabled Taft that if tho
president wished it, Hearst would Bend his best
man, namely Hostcr, to Canada to make a cam
paign in favor of reciprocity. Hostcr stated that
Taft mentioned this to him at tho time, and this
was before he had been notified by his employers
to proceed to Canada. Hostcr said that ho had
wired Mr. Carvello, (who represents Hearst In hla
absence) to tho effect that ho preferred to remain
at Bovorly, whero President Taft has a summer
home. A copy of tho telegram which came back to
him from Carvello was given to President Taft, and
in discussing the matter with Hostor, Taft told
him not to bo a 'damn fool,' that ho would bo
paid for his work, always providing It was satis
factory. Hostor added, 'evidently It Is.'
NOT MUCH REASON TO RE PROUD
"That Hostcr, tho chief Hearst plenipotentiary
now In Canada scraping up, raking up or digging
up whole reams of pro-Laurler and pro-reciprocity
material for the Boston American and other cam-
fialgn sheets designed for Canadian consumption,
s not very proud of his composition is shown by
the following statements made to the aforesaid
deponent:
'Hostcr said that since his arrival In Montreal
from Now York ho had received letters daily tell
ing him to give every argument In favor of reci
procity. Ho had sent in all such 'dope' dally. 1
am told to deal out this stuff and I am doing It,
and they say my work Is satisfactory.'
THE CONSPIRACY DID NOT ALL LEAK
OUT THEN
"All of the conspiracy did not leak out. Hostor
expressed his chagrin in not being allowed to
proceed with President Taft on his long tour which
began on September 15. Being a close friend of
Taft's, and also Hearst's chief associate, ho was
surprised to find his plans spoiled, particularly
when tho president had asked him to accompany
him on tho tour. But because certain matters
Would come up before September 21st which would
require his prcsenco In Montreal, he was compelled
to abandon that trip.
"Hostor refused to state what these matters were
except that Hearst had personal knowledge of
them.
"Hero in the boldest outline, is the story of a
plot against Canadian independence, which for
consummate Impudence has no parallel in history.
Hearst has been freely denounced and righteously
execrated of late for his unblushing campaign for
annexation, toward which goal reciprocity Is a
long step. But we now see Taft as the prime
mover, the crafty originator of tho agitation.
HEARST'S ATTEMPT TO SNATCH CANADA'S
BIRTHRIGHT
"What do Canadians think of this foreign in
terference in our elections?
"Are we a pack of ignoramuses that we need tho
guidance of a. despicable brigand liko Hearst or
the counsel of a scheming politician like Taft -who
under cover of the smile of 'friendship' snatches
our birthright from us?
"What business have the rapacious 'trusts' of ths
iiTrthiirriiiiMlrilrii-iii-i(iiniilTliihiTiii
i' muu. - it25fe
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