The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1904-11-17
INVITATIONS THAT 1T WILL BE
THE ABSORBING TOPIC AT
COMING SESSION.
Reciprocity and Trust Questions Are
Included. Which May Lead to
Special Session.

ant topic for discussion among poll
ticians this winter will be the tarlll
and reciprocity. Already there are
SIGNS that the democrats will try to
focus attention on this subject during
the short session of congress, whlcn
begins next month and adJourns III
March 1t need surprise no one IL com
fort should be lent them BIZ certain re-
publican members from the middle
west revision states Undoubtedly the
next great work before the republican
party will be tariff revision, with
reciprocity accompaniment.
The president is believed to stand
where he has stood from the first-ln
favor of revision He has never made
- any secret of his opinions, and while
of necessity he accepted the stand
nat" declaration of the republican plat
form this year. that declaration, 1t IS
believed will not prevent him from
handling the tariff question as to him
seems best for the country
During. the summer and early fall,
when Senator Lodge was having his
troubles in Massachusetts. and the par
ty there was being whipped into line
by the reciprocity advocates. COM
mittee of. three prominent Massachu-
sets republicans was sent to Oyster
Bay to talk with the president and as
certain just where he stood on that
question and on the tariff. The I'M
preston left on the minds of the COM
mittee by the president was that he
was strongly in favor of reciprocity
and tariff revision, and would prob
ably endeavor in his second admins
on both questions. The committee said
further that, while the president had
made no definite promise, he had left
left the impression that he might call
congress in extra ordinary session about
April next to take up the tariff and
related matters. chief among these lat
ter being the trusts.
This report agrees closely with what
has been whispered in Washington for
more than q year. reports Of which
have from time to time appeared in
this correspondence.
How Roosevelt Will Act.
In taking the initiative in so i'm
portant a matter, the president, must,
of course, move with great caution. AS
a practical man, he must try to ac
complish his aims without alternating
the support of the 'stand-patters." This
will be a difficult feature but the
president can accomplish it if any one
can. AS leader of the entire republic
can party, the revisionists as we'll as
the "stand-patters, he will need be
unusually careful. Before taking any
action, he will call the leading party
men into counsel. go over the situa-
stood that the president is inclined to
hold that revision must be accom-
plished before another president. al
election, if the republican party would
be certain of continuing in power The
reasons for this will be pointed out to
the stand patters" and every argu-
ment will be advanced that will tend
to bring them around to a position
where, if not favoring revision, they
will not obstruct it. Failing. this con-
cession, it cannot be guessed what
the president will do. At present, how
ever, it is believed that the stand pat
opposition can be overcome by argu-
ments bearing broadly on continued
party supremacy.
A Political Parallel.
The political condition in 1908 NAV
unless revision is taken care of, be
a repetition of that of 1876. when Til
den is believed by many to have been
honestly elected president.
-Four years before, in 1872. the re-
publican party had come into powe,
ON the greatest landslide in the histor,
OF the country. 1t was the third sue.
cesslve overwhelming defeat for the
democracy-just as the present one
mas been. The party was dsorganizef
and almost annihilated-as it is TODAY
BY administrative and legislative
plumbers, the republicans lost ground
following 1872 and in 1876 the demo.
Gratis made campaign, which was tru.
iywonderful when contrasted with the
republican landslide record of fou,
years before
The ability of the democracy TO re-.
cuperate was put to a severe test II
1876 and in that test it made hri,
haht response. 1t is not safe for 70.
puoiicans to argue anything as to 100,
at this time, unless the party. in TIL,