The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1905-01-13
OUR WASHINGTON LETT FIR.
WASHINGTON, D. c.. January 7th,

ed one of his efforts to bring Congress to
terms on the subject of tariff revision
and it now remains to be seen how the
Senate and House leaders W i'll avoid theil
"plain duty which has been SO forcefully
pointed out to them by the Chief Execu-
tive. On the day Congress reconvened
after the Christmas holidays, the Presi-
dent permitted the announcement to be
made that he was seriously considering
the advisability of calling Congress in
extra session to revise the tariff. Thls
brought the stand patters TO
their feet and created CONSERVATION at
the Capitol Senators and Representa-
tiyes returned to their homes for the hol-
idays convinced that tie President ap-
preciated the futility of asking them to
lower any of the 'sacred" Dingley sched-
ules and were aghast when they learned
that he was still determined to force them
to show their hands on the tariff question.
The leaders went at once to the White
House, singly, in pairs and in gangs to
urge the President not to take so rash
step as to call them to Washington just
at the beginning of the heated term. Inc
only consolation they received was an in
yitation to conference to consider the
subject and that conference will be held
this afternoon. What the outcome will
be it is impossible to predict but there IS
no doubt the President will have to face
some of the widest members Of Congress
and he will do we'll if they do not get the
better of him.
When members of Congress came to
Washin gton the first of December they
found the President convinced that the
promises of lower duties made during the
campaign, "for political purposes only
should be kept aud that the "top rails OF
the tariff fence should be removed. He
had gone so far on the track, in fact, that
his message, as printed, contained the
statement, II will communicate with you
on the subject of the tariff later" The
high priests of protection Immediately be-
sieged the White House and finally pur-
suaded the President to send out to the
nress associations an order to strike from
his message the line quoted. Some OF
the newspapers had, however, already
printed the line so the Presidents orlgl-
nal Intention of sending to Congress
special tariff message became known IN
certain sectioRs. The next step was to
pursuade the President that special ses'
sion could be held late in the fall say IN
November, at which all needed changes
in the Dingley rates could be made. Fin
ally, the leaders showed their true hands
by deprecating all changes in the tariff
and their efforts to utilize the press 10
that end became known to the President
during the holiday recess.
The only way in which the President
c an be prevented from calling Congress
in special session, probably this coming
Spring, will be by holding up to him the
last administration of President Cleve-
land as horrible example and even that
will not prevent his sending to Congress
a powerful appeal for revision next De-
cember If no extraordinary session is
held.
Another aggravating fact which has
been borne in on the President OF late is
that the Senate leaders have caused the
Statehood bill to be taken up with no in
tention of enacting it but for the sole pur-
pose of it's becoming an obstacle to other
leeislation; such for instance, are measures
calculated to give the government full
control of railway rates. to check the
steady growth of the trusts, to centralize
the control of the public forests under
single dcpa rtment etc. A little later IN
the session the plea of mo time" will be
advanced whenever the President asks
why this, that or the other is not done
and SO Mr.. Roosevelt is fast awakening
to the fact that his Republican friends in
Congress are not in earnest when it comes
to legislation which would prove of actu-
al service to the majority of the people
and would favor no special interest
Secretary Hay has sent to the Senate a
number of arbitration treaties in which
he and the President are deeply interest
ed but which stand little chance of ratif-
cation as negotiated. The Democratic
Senators see in these treaties possibility
of the Southern States being compelled
to pay the repudiated State bonds which
were issued by carpet-baggers in the re-
construction days, the proceeds OF which
went into the hands of Northernors who
came South to exploit that section and
from which the South received no benefit
whatever. Consequently, the Democrats
in the Senate have handed together and
unless the conventions are so amended as
expressly to omit from possible arbitra-
ton the payment of these bonds hey
will never be ratified.
The prospects are that the President
and his Secretary Of the Navy are likely
to encounter insuperable opposition to
their naval programme. They have ask
ed that new vessels, which will cost $42,-
600. 900 be authorized. The Government
has already authorized ships which, te-
fore they are completed, will cost $780,
900, 900 and there will oe a national defic.
iency of $22 100000, at least. this year.
Congress now declares itself ready to au-
thorize few Of the ships asked for, but