The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-21
ROOSEVELT DIPLOMACY
 SEEMS IN EVIDENCE
It Is Generally Believed That Extra Session Is Called for No Other Purpose Than to Secure an
 Early Adjournment.
BY wATTERsoN sTEALEY.

Washington, October 20.-(Special.) )-Act- ing on the ate-than-never princi- eiple, the President today issued his pro- clamation calling congress to meet in ex- traordinary session November 9, for the purpose of approving the Cuban treaty. This is the announced object of the meet ing, but when 1t is admitted that month will make little difference in the commer- cial relations of the United States and Cuba the opinion seems to be that the extra session is called for no other pur- pose than to secure an earlier adjourn men next summer than would ordinarily come
 The President and his advisors realize that there will be a great deal of talking in the next session of congress. Not a little of this will be on the democratic side and it will be of a nature to do the republican party no good. The tariff and the postoffco stealing will be thoroughly aired. and little republican benefit will re- dound therefrom Consequently 1t was decided to give congress an extra month in the hope that official discussion of re- publican misdeeds may be concluded be- fore the campaign is well on.
 Very Patent Fact.
 It is very patent that the time for call ing an extra session of congress for the purpose of ratifying the Cuban treaty was immediately following the ratification of the treaty in the senate last March. In fact, what the advocates of Cuban recip- rocity desired was the firm insistence of the President that the bill under discuss sion winter before last should be held be- fore congress until it was passed. The President, in a special message to con- gross in June, 1902, urged that the tariff rates between the two countries be duced but after several republican con- ferences in the senate, no attention was paid to the Presidents request.
 President Surrendered.
 The President then surrendered to the beet-sugar republicans and for nearly two years the subject of Cuban reeipro- city has been dsgracefully dragged through congressional committees. In the meantime the republican press has been declaring that the failure was due to the stand of the democrats, who were in a hopeless minority and simply in- sisted that the measure should not be
 
 sugar trust. The Cuban reciprocity meas ure was passed by the house after it had been amended by the insertion of . clause striking out the differential duty on refined sugar which was placed Tn the Dngley tariff bill for the benefit of the sugar trust. The bill then went to the senatqe, which pigeon holed it solely for the reason that it would cut down the revenues of the sugar trust six mil- lion dollar annually. Congress then ad- iourned and a decision was reached to secure Cuban reciprocity through treaty The senate passed this treaty last March, after a long debate.
 Concurrence of House Necessary.
 Many of the ablest opponents of consti- tutional law took the position that the concurrence of the house was necessary as the revenue of the government were effected. In order that there should be no doubt as to the constitutionality of the reduction the extra session is call ed for the purpose of passing a joint resolution, thus securing the concurrence of the house in the senate's action.
 The present indications are that there will be no material opposition to the passage of the resolution itself, though the time of the extra session will be largely taken up in a tariff discussion. This will especially he the case in the senate Over on the house side the three days adjournment racket will be worked to the limit.