The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-28
REPLIES TO
 GOV. CUMMINS Secretary Shaw Makes Public His Letter. THE TARIFF CONTROVERSY Treasury Official Has Been
 Incorrectly Quoted. Chief ExecutIve's Attention Called ts Speech Made by Latter at Re-
 cent Reciprocity cenven-
 ton in Chicago.
THE TARIFF CONTROVERSY

Chicago. Aug. 27.--Secretary Of - Treasury Leslie M. Shaw today made public the following letter written to Governor Cumfnins of Iowa in reply l to statements made by him to Governor Cummins before the recent reciprocity convention at Chicago:
 Chicago, Aug. 26- My Dear Governor Cummins--In q carefully prepared address delivered be- fore the reciprocity convention at Chi- cago. which the papers say you read lest you might be misreported, you used this language:
 The Secretary of the Treasury in a speech recently delivered in Des Moines is reported as saying that the explana- tion of the refusal of the Senate to con- slider the French treaty is that 1t gives everything to France and nothing to the United States. I must do him the justice to be1ievel that he never read the treaty, for otherwise he has com- mitted a grave offense against the pro- prieties Of dehate.'
 T did not see that portion of your address until I came West. and have delayed writing that might ascertain where I was reported to have made such statement. I knew I did not do or say anything that could be so in- terpreted. but I was not so sure about the report, The occasion was an in- formal luncheon. and the speech was fmpromptu, though not extemporane- ous. I find that both of the Des Molnes Republican daily papers represented at the luncheon reported me as saying I was an enthusiast among those who fa- vored the reciprocity treaties. Among these treaties was one with France. The French contract gave her an advantage in entering the American market over any other country on seventy articles, in consideration of which she agreed N.- L f..4 Al A. ports to France. except as to the twen~ ty articles. including horses, butter. eggs. cheese, leather goods, machines (machine toolsl, dynamos, etc. That is. fl we would treat France better than we did any other country, France would treat us about as we'll as she did any other nation.
 The Treaty Not Ratified.
 aOf course the treaty was not rati- fiad. There were those in the Senate who declared that they did not befie~e this nation should discriminate against Great Britain. where we sell S600000.000 four exports, for the benefit of d nation which takes less than s2o0.000.- 900.
 while the report is not verbatim. it Is substantially correct. Whether ! read the treaty before making the statement is relatively of little inl- portance, but If the treaty as negotiate ed did not give France Q reduction from our regular tariff rates on sub stantially seventy articles (to be ex- act, sixty-nine articles), counting ev- cry variety of silk manufacture as one article, then 1t may be conceded that I had not read 1t; and If 1t did not ex- empt the twenty American articles from the provisions of the French min- imum rate of duty as follows. Horses, butter, lucerne and clover seed, fodder, cast iron, skins and hides prepared; boots and shoes and parts of sames belts and cords and other leather arr ticles manufactured for machinery, dynamos, machine tools, dynamo con- ductors and parts; arc lamps. known as regulators; sugar, chicory, green or dried; eggs, cheese. honey. porcelain. card board. rough or in sheets-then it may be conceded that I violated the proprieties of debate, though an infor- mai talk at a luncheon is several times removed from debate.
 You, my dear Governor, and have had some experience In the trial Of cases, and we have seldom lost through the misrepresentation of our opponents Attorneys usually, and lawyers always exercise great care lest they incorrect- ly state a position of their professional adversaries.- Ceptainly friends and ads herents of the same political party will be more careful still.
 Knowing, therefore. that you would not violate the proINieties of debate' by quoting me without authority as having made a specific statement, I write to inquire where you saw the re port of my speech as given in your Chicago address. I have not seen 1t and wish to correct the record as soon as possible. Please advise me.
 Very sincerely yours.
 'Ieslle M. Shaw"