The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-12
ROOSEVELT And The TARIFF.
DOT T EXPRESSED or THE AL
LEGGED IOWA AGREEMENT.
The President and senator Allison Have
been Averse ia Considering the Sub
Iect. -ROOsevelt's Minneapolis speech
Gives Ills Most Recent Views

been Ayerse ia Considering the sub.
Iect-Rooseyelt's Minneapolis speech
Gives Ills Most Recent Views.
WASHINGTON May l.--Citizens OF Iowa
who are in Washington profess to have no
knowledge of the reported agreement be-
tween President Roosevelt, Gov. Cummins
and Senator Allison as to the declarations
OF the National Republican platform next
year on the subject Of the tariff. Secretary
Of the Treasury Shaw ia out OF the city,
but George E. Roberts. Director Of the Mint +,
who wrote the plank on tariff revision in
the Iowa platform last year. says that Il,
as far az he knows, there has been no attempt
to settle the policy Of the Republican Ma
tional Conventin OF 1904 on this question
Plans are now under way, however. for the
coming Iowa State convention. In dis
cussing the question Mr.. Roberts made this
statement to The Sun correspondent this
afternoon
THE leaders Of the party in Iowa have
been comforting Of late to see II it is not
practicable to write tariff resolution that
will be reasonable and acceptable to both
wings. and they have concluded that it can
be done. There is a disposition to avoid
sharp issue in the State convention this
year and feeling on both sides that the
differences are not important enough TO
justify such rupture.
"Of course. the platform cannot be def
initely settled In its language until the con-
vention meets. and 1t is Premature for
cit her side to declare that the other has
surrendered. The supporters OF the old
platform have certainly not slid down
the pole or abandoned any onenton made
in the old platform Perhaps the differences
will largely disappear in recasting Of the
resolution, The fact is that factional
antagonisms have been responsible for most
Of the friction over the old platform and
with the approach of Presidential cam
paign there is a disposition on both sides
to get together"
There is reason to believe that an agree
ment among the leaders Of the party in
Iowa has already been reached by which
plank favorng tariff revision. but expressed
in rather milder terms than last year. will
be inserted in the State platte Of the
party. 1t is understood that Senator
Allison will undertake to write this par,
of the platform in language that will meet
the wishes of majority. OF the Republicans.
Leading Republicans in Washington do
his present trip through Iowa, talked with
, Gov. Cummins about the so called Iowa
idea" Of tariff revision; but few If any of
them believe that the President, as was
reported, subscribed substantially to Mr..
C,immins's radical views on the subject
Although the President Is fairly conaumed
with the idea Of regulating the trusts.
he has never sympathized with the view
that the protective schedules now on the
| statute books provide shelter for mo-
One reason why Director Roberts and
other interested Republicans here doubt
the reports that an agreement has been
| effected between the President Senator
| Allison and Gov. Cummins favorable 10
tariff revision plank in the party, national
platform next year, is that both the Pres-
! dent and Mr.. Allison are supposed TO be
averse to considering the matter seriously
at thia time. Moreover. the President in
his Minneapolis speech or! April gave
expression TO some carefully prepared
views on the tariff question:, and his words
have been construed az anything but favor
able to the Iowa idea.
After recalling the wonderful prosperity
that has prevailed throughout the country
since the tariff law OF 1897 was enacted.
the President in his Minneapolis speech
said:
should Ne stable as that II should be wise
4 nation like ours could not long stand the
t to- rsdio.{ in tho tar1 a. short inter
| walls especially when, az now, owing to the
immense extent and VARIETY Of our products
! the tariff schedules carry rates of duty on
| thousands Of different articles. Sweeping and
violent changes in such tarih touching So
vitality the interests Of all of IA would be dis
! astro,s in any event, and they would be fatal
| to our present we'll being il approached on
| the theory that the principle OF the Amer can
| tariff was To he abandoned. The business
! world cannot afford. II it has any regard for
| it's own welfare. even to consider the advisa-
| bility of abandoning the present system.
One of the most significant things about
| this recent utterance Of the President is
| that /, was carefully prepared in advance
! OF It's delivery and after an important con-
| ference with such leaders as Senat ors
Aldrich, Allison and Plat Of Connecticut.
| shortly before the President left Washing
| ton for his Western trip. Mr., Roosevelt
| told many persons last winter in private
! conversation that he was not in favor OF
tariff revision. at least, for long time to
! come.
Senators Aldrich and Spooner aud other
| leading members OF the Senate Finance
| Committee, who have recently been at Hot
| Springs Va, considering financial legisla-
| ton and other plans for the next session Of
| Congress. did not take up the subject Of
the tariff 1t is believed that Senator Ali
son. who is one of the most influential
members Of the Finance Committee. Is NOT
worrying about the Republican National
platform Of 1904, but that his present &C.
| tiyity on the subject of the tariff is directed
solely to a desire to fix up the factional
differences in his own State III the year
Immediately preceding the Presidential