Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-03
REVISION OF THE TARIFF
Coming Reciprocity Confer
ence at Chicago.
POLITICIANS EXCITED
OVER THE ADMINISTRATIONS
ATTITUDE TOWARD IT.
POLITICIANS EXCITED
ATTITUDE TOWARD IT.
Members of Cabinet Invited Have
fastened to Decline-Declared
Democratic Movement.

The politicians are all worked up over the
coming reciprocity conference at Chicago
and especially over the administrations at
titude toward it of almost open hostility.
The stand-patters very jubilant and
claim that this position of the adminstra-
tion is the strongest kind of Endorsement
of their opposition to anything looking in
the direction of tariff revision.
The tariff revision republicans are some
what chagrined, for their part, at the in
difference of the administration. They
point out that this conference was called
virtually in the spirit of Mckinleyism The
call used these words:
Standing on the broad platform enunci-
ated by President Mckinley in his last
speech at Buffalo," the conference was to
be held to urge the wisdom of substituting
In our foreign relations the principle of rec
iprocity for that >of exclusion and retalia-
tion.''
So, the revisionists say, here is the spec
tacle of the republican administration re-
fusng to let its members participate in a
movement which they claim is but follow
ing out the views of one of the great apos-
ties of protection.
A Spirit of Indifference.
There is no question that up to this time a
distinct spirit Of Indifference has been
manifested by the administration toward
the conference. Indeed, 1t is claimed by
some of the movers in behalf of the con-
ference that studied has been this in
difference as to amount to hostility. AS
the conference was summoned in a non
partisan spirit, so, Is movers claim, they
resent the administrations aloofness
Two or three instances are cited in sup
port of the assertion that the admnistra-
ton Is holding off with intent Members
of the cabinet, who were invited to attend
have fastened to decline. The Secretary of
Commerce and Labor and the commissioner
of corporations were asked to come, but
both side-stepped with alacrity. Farther
than that, 1t Is said the Department Of
Commerce and Labor declined to- assign
any of its experts to assist the statisti-
clans of the conference.
Secretary Wilson Of the Department. of
Agriculture who this time. last year was
out west addressing agricultural and other
association meetings, was invited. mas
much as the conference was worked up
mainly by the CATTLE and grain men, but
the Secretary declined positively to have
anything to do with the conference. He
feared that it would have a political shade
before it was over.
When efforts were made from Chicago to
get into touch with the President at OYSTER
Bay, with view to inviting him, they were
discouraged, and there seemed to be disin-
clination down Oyster Bay way to even
have to reply to an invitation. Since then,
however, there has been a change, and the
dispa tches this morning stated that Presi-
dent Sanders of the conference would be
received by President Roosevelt.
The conference promoters claimed that
they felt at liberty to approach the Presi-
dent upon the subject of reciprocity, as he
had endeaVored to secure the ratification
by the Senate of reciprocity treaties at the
last session of Congress.
A Distinctively Democratic Movement.
The tariff revision republicans claim that
all the stir has been the result of the hos
tility of the Protective Tariff League and
the Home Market Club of Boston, the two
recognized organizations Of the stand-pat-
ters. The Star last week reported the ac-
tivity of the tariff league against the con-
ference and the efforts of the organization
to disparage 1t. The Home Market Club
has since come out in a brOadside, brand
ing the conference as distinctively demo-
cratic movement and protesting against
protectionists taking part in It,
1t Is said that undoubtedly the charge by
these organizations that the movement was
a democratic one had great deal to do
with the opposition which the promoters
have encountered in administration circles.