The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-17
THE EXTRA SESSION TALK.
THE PRESIDENT mas ALL ALONG
OPPOSED THE IDEA.
Tie Has Also Been Opposed TO Revival of
Tarin DiscussiOn--Mr. BabcOck Denies
That He Represented the Prcsi.
dent as Fa,Oring an Extra session.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10 Members of
President Roosevelt's Cibinet and other
influential Republicans in Washington who
ac, a. his advisers IN political matters are
surprised AT the report from Milwaukee that
the President intends to call an extra session
Of the Fifty-ci ghth Congress in March TO
pass a thrift revision bin, and they don't
believe it,
II has been the general understanding in
Washington that the President is opposed
to a revival of tariff discussion and that he
il strongly of the opinion that there is no
demand for tarifr revision AZ present. He
Believes. with the great ma jori,y of the Re-
publican leaders, that -the tariff should be
let alone" Il is largely because Of this
belief that he will recommend in his mes
sage the creation Of a permanent tarf
commission. thinking that by this method
the general question could bc taken out of
politics and kept out.
But without any reference to the subject
Of the tariff the President has been opposed
to the idea uf an II ra session Of Congress,
and has >aid % 20 almost every caller who
has discussed public matters with him since
he returned 70 Washington after the inter-
ruprion Of hi, Western Tip.
The las, time that Mr.. Babcock saw the
President was Saturday, Nov. s. the day
after the Congres sman returned from New
York. after closing up the campaign head
quarters. When the ak was over the Presi-
dent was asked by "A caller whether any
agreement Vas reached in the matter Of
| tariff revision, which has long been Mir
Babcock's hobby. The President replied
that the subject of the tariff was not even
mentioned by either of them. To another
! question the President made the direct
reply that nothing was further from his
| thought than he calling of an extra session
of Congress. He said that ne had not
| entertained the idea for moment. A
| member of the Cabinet made the positive
! statement tonight that the President
| has not intimated To Mr., Babcock, Senator
Spooner OF To- any one else that h" Will call
| an extra session. for the very good reason
| that he determined some time ago not to
do so and that he has taken pains to so
| inform all of his party friends.
Moreover. II IL, s,aid that tongre ssman
Babcock tonight telegraphed TO a friend
| in Washir gton a denial of the report that
| he had repre- serted the Pr, sident as favor
| ing al extra session. The President Is
| much more Interested III having Congress
take action on his recommendation for
| legislation looking to the supprs ,sion Of
| what he calls the evils Of trusts than in
tariff revision, and might be tempted to
| call the new Congress toge her IN advance
of its regular meeting time If these recon-
| meudatioi should lie ignored But as a
| matter of fact he will content himself with
| indoisng the plan of permarent tarifi
commi; sion and repeating hit recommends
| tioIs for an enlargement Of the Executive
authority over trusts, leaving the Fifty
| eighth Congress to act In its wisdom as IL
/ secs fiji and III its own time.
| The statement thai Mr.. Babcock had
| Withdrawn as a Speakership candidate
/ after learning that the President had be-
come an active advocate Of tariff revision
| is improbable on its face, because II an
| extra session were 10 he called to carry
out a tariff revision programme, Mr.. Bah
| cock AS the original proposer Of new
| tariff law aimed at the trusts, would be the
| Administration candidate and would have
| a lead on all his competitors that they
! could not overcome. His retirement, there
I fore, probably means that he finds his
| Republican colleagues no more in sym.
| pathy with his tariN-revision views thar
| heretofore The decision Of the Wisconsin
| delegation 20 vote for Mr., Cannon fol
| Speaker makes him the strongest man ir
| the fight, but without the necessary l0l
votes to nominate. II Burton of Ohio
sticks to his determination to formally
| announce his candidacy, the contest vii
| probably remain open until the caucus OF
| House Republicans in December, 1903.