ALS as president signed “Wm. H. Taft,” four pages on two adjoining sheets, 4.5 x 7, White House letterhead, July 22, 1911. Letter to his aunt, Delia Torrey, in part: "I have your note of July 19th with its kindly excerpt from the Harper's Weekly. Today I have been very much gratified by the passage of the Reciprocity Bill by a vote of 53 to 26 with five pairs. This is really a great victory for the best interests of the Government and I am very proud to have been instrumental in making the agreement and in inducing its passage. I have to give a dinner to Admiral Togo when he comes to Washington and a reception afterward. It will be a Men's affair. Nellie will not be here to help me. The Democrats are dwelling into everything to cast suspicion on the administration…They are very unscrupulous in their methods and most unfair; but I have to stand it. I can only hope that the good will out balance the bad. I have good news from Beverly. I am going to seize this hill immediately after the passage of the Reciprocity Bill to veer up to Beverly for two days. I shall return by Tuesday morning if I have good luck. Nellie had a nice long letter from Robert which I enclose to you. He seems to be having a very good time. Charley and Annie sail for Quebec on July 27th and will spend August and September at Murray Bay. I am afraid I shall not begin my vacation much before the middle of August. The last vote fixed for the Senate is Aug. 7th, but there will be some delay beyond that." In fine condition. Accompanied by the original White House mailing envelope, addressed in Taft's own hand.
Roughly five months after President Taft urged its approval, the Canadian Reciprocity Bill passed the Senate with a vote of 53 to 27 on July 21, 1911, just a day before this letter was written. The bill, as negotiated by Taft and Canadian Prime Minister Wilfrid Laurier, sought for improvement of commercial relations between the two countries, a long step towards making the whole of the United States and Canada a vast free trade continent. Taft, in a special message delivered on January 26, asserted as much: ‘My purpose in making a reciprocal trade agreement with Canada has been not only to obtain one which would be mutually advantageous to both countries, but one which also would be truly national in its scope as applied to our own country and would be of benefit to all sections.’ While Canadian liberals approved the bill, the country’s conservative faction, led by Robert Borden, made it a pressing issue in the 1911 Canadian Federal Election, with Borden capturing victory behind the slogan, ‘No truck or trade with the Yankees.’ Much to Taft’s dismay, the treaty was later rejected by Borden’s new Conservative government.
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