The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-11-23
PRESIDENT HOLDS
TARIFF COUNCILS
Executive Shows Cummins that
Strong Pressure Is Exerted
on Both Sides.
Secretary Shaw Recedes from
Standpat Attitude to the
Amendment" Plan.
BY w. w. Jermane.

Washington, Nov. 23.-Before leav-
ing Washington yesterday, Governor
Cummins Of Iowa had a second talk
with the president during which he
urged tariff revision.
The president listened closely but did
not say anything to indicate what he
was thinking of doing.
talk, however, he reached over on
his desk and picking up tele-
gram, handed it to the governor
to read. 1t was from delegation
of prominent Massachusetts business
men and politicians, dated at Boston,
and it said there was absolutely no
truth in the statement reported to have
been made to the president several days
ago by Eugene Foss, the Massachusetts
revisionist and reciprocity advocate.
He is understood to have told the presi-
dent that Massachusetts republicans
and business interests generally were
clamorous for tariff revision. Gov
ernor Cummins read the denial and
then handed the telegram back to the
president. and said good by.
Just been telling the president that
practically everybody in the middle
west was for revision. Whether the
president wanted to suggest that pos
sibly Cummins was mistaken as to the
middle west, as Foss had been as to
Massachusetts, does not appear from
anything that occurred at the White
House, but it does appear that the
president did not tell Cummins what he
purposed doing.
Shaw for Amendment.
On the subject of tariff revision, Sec
rotary Shaw Of the treasury depart
ment has come down. From being an
, uncompromising standpatter,' he has
changed to an advocate of the amend
ment. He says tariff revision is com
, ing and that it might as we'll be dis
, cussed. All of which is likely to sur
, prise the people in the middle west, who
:, have long known Shaw as the exponent
of the exact opposite Of the 'lowa
t idea.' '. .-.>r----'~'
Of course it is due to the pressure being
brought to bear by the president, who
l has been talking to the party leaders
{ and some of them have begun to yield
!, The only question: with some OF then
! !! is how to get down gracefully. 4.
), Shaw has his place in the cabinet a
! stake. If he remained "standpatter; :
in the face of the administrative effor
: to revise the tariff, he could hardly re
a main in the cabinet. He would like tt
stay for a couple of years at least, AM
then begin his campaign mp for president nd
II say he wants to stay so bad he can tast
9 it. So now he is showing how the tariff
r can be revised by means of system o
n drawbacks.
eff the Dingley law is to be mod1
fed at all it will be along the lines 0
amendment instead Of revision sal
the secretary. "There is a differenc
between! + the two terms: The friends o
tie tariff will do nothing more thai
r ar;an1 and that ia tho trina ronuh1ica
dcctrine.'
Extend Drawback Principle.
The secretary plan is to extend tn
: drawback principle SO that there woul
be refund Of duties on hides brough
in and made into shoes, on tin made int
cans and sent out filled, on iron mad
ported. Revisionists say that this
only another name for revision, tina
. Shaw has Topped.
The president has seen enough part
y leaders already to find that sentiment
y not all one way on the question Of n
a vision. Some of his advisers, such 8
'e have told him that the country demand
E. revision, while others, such as Senator
n Scott and Aldrich, have told him thu
IS the recent election was "standpat
n, victory.
~ Senator Burrows told him yesterda
is that he did not know that there W;
any revision sentiment in Michiga
r. while Senator Cullom sees nothing
to the Illinois situation demanding rev
or sion.
n These little talks with senators al
or other party leaders are to continue i
m definitely and out of them the preside1
he will make up his mind. He lfavors +
he vision, but, of course, will not do an
ne thing to divide the party, nor will
publicly advocate revision, knowing
!e- advance that it cannot be accomplishe
If. If he sends a revision message to co
he gress as he wants to do, it will be a n
"a tice TO the country that the standnat1e
m have yielded.
lie