The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1905-08-07
WASHING
TONLETTER

n y fom SuE iegular correspondent
Washington, D. q, Aug. 6. 1906.
The promoters OF the coming reci.
prueity congress have succeeded in
pizcIng the administration In a very
aquivocai position regarding its atti.
tude toward that meeting. 1t is open
h stated in Washington that the ad.
ministration.s attitude of Indifference
10 the meeting has become one of pos
1iiye opposition. However that may
be the cabinet as a whole n several.
b declined without any unnecessary
paIiteness to have anything to do
With the movement. The Presidents
views on the subject are too well
ksown 10 need apology. but 1t is
egualIy certain that he viii not see
Ills a clear 10 attending the Con
Eress, n n %declination, however
rptrteousiy worded, will be taken as
4 sign that he is not In sympathy
~ilh the programme. This will not
be true, but his standing aloof would
be a wise step INT in the matter of
aespaf legislation he will have lone
1is real duty when he puts the mat.
tar 81 tariff revision mp TO Congress
this session. Action of some sort will
be necessary. 1t has been proven al.
ready that economic wars are as cost
y in TIE end ii not so bloody and ap.
raiing as actual wars. The whole of
f2urope Is arming against this com.
ms and while it is trne that with IL
sast home markets and exports of raw
material that are necessary to the rest
u die world, we would be in a fair
position TO wage such a war, 1t is a
wholly unnecessary conflict and If
xs are not precipitated into it, it will
De The fault of Congress aud not of
TIE President. The records of the
Bureau of Statistics show that such
a war has already cost us the whole
81 our big trade with European Rus
ala American exports to that region
nse practically dead as the result of
tf'e sugar bounty decision of the SUI.
7rsme Court, and II the country wants
xnather deadlock with the rest of Eu.
p . It can get it by waiting a
fcs months and falling to act on the
guesricn or tnriff revision. 1t is
qnite probable that certain highly pro.
tected interests will operate through
oisir Senators at the coming session
Of Congress to prevent any tariff
finIering, but II they do the blame
I'm rruf MFR, ttn
aisnssr, intosa tariff war with the rest
ID the world, bar England of course.
xhich is pointed to by pro-protection-
hts as our greatest market. 1t does
mot Seem 7 be taken into account,
hssever, thar England, though ex.
scrafnglS slow to move. is not neces.
sznly a free trade country for all
fi1e. and the spectacle of a success
ful ~ at best damaging tariff war
against the United States would be
the strongest argument for the Cham
tsrfaiuites in closing the markets of
England against us.
The work OF investigating in the
agricultural and other departments
hEh uassd for a time and the grand
jirsy has taken a recess pending the
st<trn' Of, ex-Statistician Hyde from
ErgIAnd. The Secretary of Agricul.
ttre has announced his intention OF
tfkingsn mn holiday this summer and
rfenaining at his desk to put through
my investigation into the various bu.
satIis Of his department that may need
The condition of the Bureau of
Animal Industry probably will call
1ur the next attention of the investi.
EHting committee. 1t has beer
Eaimed by several of the smaller
curnpefitors OF the Beef Trust who
hzye appealed to the Department, that
Efdle the Trust has had difficulty in
zTuc1Hing all the meat Inspectors it
needed, that they the competitors
<sre unable to secure such govern.
zrent supervision and as a result
medr meat had to go without the la
bel Of the Agricultural Department
Rhteh is a necessity in the export
trade and is, required in some cities
ii the United States before meat can
te nut on the. market. At the sam
zhre DR.. Salmon, the chief of the Ri.