Evening star., 1901-11-22
Reciprocity Talk Given the President
From the West.
MESSAGE READ TO THE CABINET
Gov. Hunt and Mr.. Gompers Con-
fer on IgIesias' Case.
TODAY APPOINTMENTS

these questions. The arguments for and
against reciprocity have all been by repub-
lcans, who have often assumed that the
question for the republican party
alone to handle. inasmuch 1t had settled
the tariff policy of the government and as
Its leaders had been the first to advocate
reciprocity as means of extending trade
and of in measure reducing customs tax
alton. The thought that democrats night
become important and successful factors in
the whole matter has not occurred with
sufficient earnestness to the vast majority
of business and politicians who have
talked with the President to cause them to
touch upon that phase of the question.
Notification From the West.
Out from the west. however. has come to
the President notification that the people
want reciprocity and antitrust legislation,
and that they are not in the humor to wait
Indefinitely to get it. There is sugges-
tion that the people will be satisfied with
the views of statesmen interested one
way or another according to the business
interests of their respective localities. The
President has been informed that 4
mass the people look upon reciprocity as a
broader question than the environments or
business interests of any section. This be-
ing true as point ed out to the President,
will the democrats the drift of public
sentiment and take advantage of republic
Can they not well afford to line up solidly
for this species of tariff reduction without
stultifying their records and positions
the tariff Will they permit the republi-
cans to wrangle over this great issue and
theE step in and cast a solid party vote for
what the people are sad to want thereby
putting their party in the attitude of SOL
idly advocating hat issue?
Gov. Cummins of Iowa.
These and many similar questions OF
more or less Importance 20 the republican
party have been laid before the President
in the last week. To some republican lead
ers the ideas put forth are said to appear
ridiculous, but republicans themselves have
put forth their fears as to the possibilities
along these lines. Governor-elect Cummins
OF Iowa, fresh from the people of his state
and directly out of a campaign where he
touched elbows with all classes is under
stood to have plainly told the President
that the voters of the country wanted ac-
tion and that he feared that if the republi-
cans did not act with great wisdom the
democrats would seize upon just the op-
portunity that might finally place them
back in the good graces of the people
How many others have talked to the
President this way is not known. but the
ideas are declared to be looming up with
greater force than is given to questions
thdt nave an appearance of being specu-
latiye. The apprehension that the republi-
cans may make serious mistake goes so
far with some western leaders as to cause
them to say that the appointment of a
tariff commission will be a mistake, be-
cause it would probably postpone the even
tual settlement of the question until a
time near the next presidential election
most likely becoming dangerously acute at
that time disturbing business conditions
and bringing about heated campaign in
case grave issues arise between the two
parties.
On the trust question some of the western
people are looking for democratic attempt
to make an issue favorable to their party.
GoyernOr-elect Cummins sees a spirit OF
popular opposition to the recent great con-
SOlidatiOn of western and northwestern
roads. He does not know of any law in
his state that can be used against the con-
solidatiOn, but he believes that the time is
coming wher there will be most stringent
antitrust laws
Mr. Tawney's Views of Reciprocity.
Representative Tawney of Minnesota,
member of the ways and means committee
of the House, had a consultation with
President Roosevelt today on the subject
of legislation that is likely to come before
the committee of which he is a member
Mr.. Tawney says that there is much con-
fusion in the popular mind to what re-
ciprocity means There are, he says, three
kinds of recprocity-that of Blaine on nom
competing articles that which includes in
addition to non-competing articles trade
concessions on articles produced by big
corporations that are already invading the
reciprocity
would lower the tariff indscrminately for
the purpose of securing trade concessions.
OF these Mr.. Tawney favors the second
He IS also inclined to favor the imposition
of a maximum and minimum rate for trad
ing purposes, with a tariff commission to
determine the conditions In particular in
dustry under which the lower rate could
De imposed by executive action.
President Again Reads Message
President Roosevelt today finished read
n he hn IN led
in regular session at the White House his
first message TO Congress The President
spent nearly two hours on Tuesday in going
over the message The reading of the re-
mainder of the document was completed in
short time today. The message has been
printed at the government printing office
that is, il has been put on large proof
sheets, with plenty of margins for inser-
tiOns whenever the President sees fit to
make change. 1t is understood that the
message will be in the neighborhood of
2S.O0O or 80 600 words
Secretary Root talked to the cabinet Tor
some time on a proposition that will be
Incorporated in his annual report. This
proposition will provide for board of in
structton which will supervise the work OF
the schools of instructions for officers OF
the army. The Secretary has decided upon
TINS board TO take charge of the higher
education of army officers, and when his
order goes into effect IL will establish a new
branch for the army.
The Case of Santiago IgIesia..
Governor Hunt of Porto Rico and Sam
Gel Gompers of the American Federation
of Labor had a long conference today
about the case of Santiago Iglesias, the
Porto Rican representative of the fedora
tion who was sent from here to the is
land to organize labor there, and who was
arrested on landing on old charges brought
against him Of falling to appear for trial
and of conspiring to raise wages After
the conference Mr.. Gompers and Governor
HUNT visited the White House and had
prlef talk with the President. Mr.. Com
pers has been informed that Iglesias is not
q man of standing in the island. If this is
true Mr.. Gompers is disappointed. but he
says that II there are other charges
against Igiesias than conspiring to raise
wages and falling to appear to answer that
charse the federation will stand by the