Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-16
The Presidents Speech.

President Roosevet's speech to the dele
cation of shoe manufacturers yesterday
was as follows:
your petition and suggestions, 1 need
hardly say, shall have my most careful con-
sideration. The great interests you repre-
sent are exceedingly important; their well
fare is of concern to the whole country; 1t
deserves and will surely receive the pains
taking attention of both the President ana
Congress.
1T is of course, unnecessary to point
out that change in the tariff can be
made, keeping in view only the interests or
desires of one state or one locality; the law
must first take tangible shape in the lower
house of Congress, and must therefore,
roughly correspond to the sentiments of the
citizens of the several states as expressed
through their representa- tiveS therein.
Where the interests, and therefore the
sentiments. based on these interests, are di-
verse, is almost invariably the case in
reference to the details of all tariff mat
tiers, the law must normally, although not
invariably represent compromise and mu-
tual concessions, and no one outside of
Congress can definitely foretell the exact
shape such compromise viii ultimately
take.
Letter From Guild.
at is my duty to state that before re-
ceiving this committee I had received let
ter from the governor-elect of Massachu-
sets. Hon. Curtis Guild, jr. In this letter,
evidently the first he has written in what
may be called the official character with
which he is now vested by the SURFACES of
his felow-citizens, he urges in the strong
est terms an immediate revision of the
tariff. and especially removing the duty on
hides.
81 should like to discuss the whole situa-
tion with you freely and informally But
unfortunately my experience with a COM
mittee from your state, Governor Doug
las, which called me in connection with
tariff matters about year ago forbids my
doing so. Such a free, full and necessarily
informal and tentative discussion is OBJ
viously of benefit only If those joining in
1t recognize as a matter of honorable obi
cation the duty of not attempting to give
from memory what must necessarily be an
imperfect and garbled version of what takes
place. When the President of the United
States definitely and formally expresses
himself for publication on a question OF
great national Importance what he says
should not be left to the imperfection OF
memory often cofored by interest, but
should be put beyond the possibility OF
misunderstanding by careful preparation
and committal to writing.
Accuses Mr.. Whitney.
ITO try to repeat from memory what the
President has said when a year has elapsed
| is to show entire Indifference to accuracy
| as well as to proprety. Yet this is pre-
| csely what Mr.. Whitney (recent demo
| cratic candidate for lieutenant GOVERNOR
did in the Massachusetts, campaign that
| has just closed. He pretended to quote
/ what / had said during the course of the
| long and informal interview with his com.
| mittee a year before; no notes of the con-
versation having been taken at the time
| Not only did he misquote the words used
| but by suppressng almost all that 1 -haC
| said. and by giving what he purported tC
| give entirely apart from its context, he alb
| solutely. and, as l am constrained to be-
| lieve. deliberately, misrepresented wha
| had occurred: and he knew we'll that 1t was
| impossible for the President of the United
| States to enter into a personal discussion
1 about the matter with him.
| with this experience in view. I cannot
| enter into any discussion with you on the
| merits of your proposal, and must conten
| myself with saying that 1t shall receive
| my most earnest. attentive and respectful
| consideration"