Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-08-28
SHAW TO CUMMINS.
Replies to Charges Made at
 Reciprocity Convention.
WAS IN FAVOR OF FRENCH TREATY
Tells Why If wasn't atiAeA-Denies Statement of 1ows,s Governor That He CommitteA Proprietiss
 of Debate.

He Committed ProDrietiss of Debate. CHICAGO, Aug. 2S Secretary of
 the Treasury Leslie M. Shaw has made
 public the following letter, written by
 him to Governor A. B. Cummins of
 Iowa in reply to statements made by
 Governor Cummfns before the recent
 reciprocity convention at Chicago:
 "Ir a carefully prepared address de-
 livered before the reciprocity conven-
 ton at Chicago, which the papers say
 you read, Lest you might be misre-
 ported you used this language:
 "'The secretary of the treasury in [
 speech recently delivered in Des
 Moinss is reported as saying that the
 explanation of the refusal of the sen-
 ate to consider the French treaty is
 that it gives everything to France and
 nothing to the United States. 1 must
 do him the justice to believe that he
 never read the treaty, for otherwise he
 has committed a grave offense against
 the proprieties of debate.'
 q did not see that portion of your
 address until cane west and have
 delayed writing that I might ascertain
 where I was reported to have made such a statement. I knew I did not say it or anything that could be so ir- terpreted, but was not 50 sure about the report. The occasion was an it- formal luncheon, and the speech was impromptt, though not extemporane- ous. I find that both of the Des Moines Republican daily papers rep resented at the luncheon reported me as saying:
 T was an enthusiast among those who favored the reciprocity treaties. Among these treaties was one with France. The French contract gave her an. advantage in entering the Ameri- can market over every other country ofl seventy articles, in consideration of which she agreed to apply her mini. mum tariff to our exports to France except as to twenty articles, including horses, butter, eggs. cheese. leather goods, machines (mhchine tools). dyna. mos. etc.-that is, if we would treat France better than we did any other country France would treat us about as well as she did any other nation.
 "'Of course the treaty was not rati- fled. say of course. 1 mean merely to say 1t was not ratified. There were those in the senate who declared that they did not believe this nation should against Great Britain, where we sell S60O.OOO.0OO of our ex- ports, for the benefit of a nation which takes less than s2O00OO,O00.'
 "While the report is not verbatim, 1t is substantially correct. Whether read the treaty before making the statement is relatively of little i'm. portance, but If the treaty as nero- tiated did not give France reduction from our regular tariff rates on sub. stantially seventy articles be exact. sixty y-fine. articles. counting every VA riety of silk manufacture as one dfti. cle-tlien it may be conceded that had not read it. and If it did not exempt twenty American articles from the pro. visions of the French minimum rate of duty ns follows; Horses, butter, |ucerne and clover seed. fodder. cast Iron. skins and hides. prepared: boots and shoes and parts of same. belts md cords and other leather articles for machinery. dynamos. tools. dynamo conductors and parts, are lamps. known as regulators; sugar. ehieory roots. green or dried. sggs. cheese. honey. porcelain. card. board. rough or in sheets. then it may be conceded that I violated the proprIe. les of debate. though an informal talk lt q luncheon is several removes from , debate.
 "you. my dear governor, and have Iad some experience in tho trinI of 'ascs. and we have seldom lost through he misrepresentation of our opponents. Attorneys usually and lawyers always 'xercise great care lest they incorrectly tate position of their professional Idversaries. Certainly friends and ad. lerents of the same political party will ,e moro careful still.
 Knowing therefore that you would iot violate the proprIeties of debate by luoting me without authority as hay. ne made specific statement. write q inquire where you saw the report of ny speech as given in your Chicago Iddress. have not seen it. and wish fo correct the record as soon nc