The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-04
CAN'T UNDERSTAND IT
Local Reciprocity Advocates SkepticaI Of
Washinqton Story.

Washington Story.
The above dispatch is mystifying to
local workers for reciprocity with Canada,
inasmuch as three of the Fairbanks
Laurier letters have been published. and
do not seem to indicate any evasion of the
issue. Moreover, they have authoritative
advices to-day from Ottawa that the
situation is not changed there. ~ x
On Feb. III Sir Wilfrid. wrote Il Sem
ator Fairbanks saying, that after the Can
adam parliament had BEEN prorogued he
would like to meet with Senator, Fair
banks privately, to discuss the outlook for
reciprocity and fix the. date for the COM
mission: to meet. To this letter Senator
Fairbanks replied, on March A: "It is
quite we'll enough that we should arrange
for private interview, after your parlia-.
ment is prorogued, and as you suggest,
that we may consider the work before us
and agree upon a date for assembling"
In the first part Of May Eugene g. Hay
of Minneapolis, counsel for the Minnesota
branch Of the National Reciprocity league,
interviewed Senator Fairbanks at Indian
apolts and found him well satisfied with
the, outlook for a reassembling of the
commission. Evidently the situation had
not changed in the five weeks prior to
that time. Any unsatisfactory correspon-
dence that may have been had must. have
come out In May, tho as late as the middle
Of that month the senator wrote to a
Minneapolis acquaintance a letter that in
dicated that no difficulty had arisen.
An Explanation.
One prominent advocate of reciprocity
with Canada to-day received a letter from
a high government official in Washington
that, to his mind, throws deal of light on
the dispatches from Washington. The let
ter represents the senate as the impossible
barrier In the way Of reciprocity with
Canada or any other country, and indicates
a feeling Of hopelessness on the part of
the administration of being able to ac-
complish any thing in the way sof liberal
izing the American tariff policy SO long
as the senate maintains its present atti-
tude. The recipient of the letter says that
this fact should merely serve to show
reciprocity workers that they must be
prepared to begin a, campaign to. under
mine the Bourbonistic senate If they ex-
pect to accomplish any improvements in
our tariff relations with other nations.
Mr.. Hays View.
Eugene G. Hay does not think that the
Chamberlain policy has changed Sir Will
frid Laurier's attitude or the prospects
for a meeting Of the joint high commits
sion in the fall He said to-day:
1 am to-day in receipt of a telegram from one
high i'll authority in Canada saying that there
has been no change in the Canadian desire for a
meeting of the joint high commission.
Sc far Mr.. Tawneys statement that the
commission is longer In existence is concerned,
either he's is mistaken the secretary of state
and Senator Fairbanks do not understand the
situation. as they have conducted negotiations
for a meeting of the commission upon the tas-
sumption that It was still in existence. Mr..
| Tawney's error seems to be in assuming that
the commission was created by congressional en-
| actment. 1t was not. 1t came into existence by
appointment by the president to assist him in the
| discharge of the executive function under the
| power conferred on him by the constitution. That
| is, a power to negotiate treaties. The statute
| referred to by Mr.. Tawney simply makes an ap-
/ preparation to defray expenses. This ap