The San Francisco call., 1905-05-17
RESIDENT
WARS WITH
HIS PARTY
Purchase Of Canal
Supplies Cause
Of Strife.
Leaders Hold Markets
of America Should
Be Favored.
Regard the Announced Policy
as Attack on Principle
of Protection.
Special dispatch to The can.

CALL BUREAU, POST BUILDING
WASHINGTON, May 16. = Secretary
Taft's public announcement that the
Isthmian Canal Commission will pur-
chase material for construction in the
lowest market, without preference Tor
American goods and without restriction
as to American bottoms, has raised the
biggest kind of a row in the Republican
party. and it begins in President Roose-
velt's Cabinet itself. Taft's statement
was made at the Presidents direction
AT least one important member OF
the Cabinet il known TO have expressed
the greatest acknowledgment that the pol
icy should have been adopted and an
nounced without first submitting IL to
all of the Presidents advisers.
There had been one Cabinet meetin
since Mr. RooseveIt's return from the
West There was another this morn
ing This question was not submitted
in any form at either. 1t is pointed out
by the stand patteys. Eho are mad
through and through, that the Presi-
dent in directing this announcement
relied upon his own judgment and that
Of only one of his Cabinet Ministers.
The entire protective policy of the Re-
publican party was attacked, they say,
when the President practically an
nounced to the world that il was a
failure in so far as it raised prices to
some consumers.
Secretary Shaw is known to regard
the announcement of this policy as an
assault upon the principle of protec-
tion, and in the house of it's friends.
Senator Burrows, one OF the high pro-
tectionists of the West, also is very
much concerned at the announcement.
He said to-day:
"I have been fighting free ships dur
ing my entire public life nnd here is
an administration In which are included
members of the Republican party buy
ing them by the WHOLESALER"
representative John Dalzell of Penn
sylvania, the high priest of high pro-
lection is astounded at the situation
developed and Representative Gros-
venor can hardly contain himself.
Had the question been submitted at
the Cabinet meeting it is known that
Secretaries Shaw and Wilson would have
strenuously opposed the announcement
of any such policy. 1t is believed, also,
that Attorney General Moody and Sec
retary Hitchcock would have advised
against it. The Presidents supporters
would have been Secretaries Taft and
Morton and Postmaster General Cortel-
you.
When Secretary Metcalf was in the
House he was put on the Ways and
Means Committee because he was a
stand patter," but it is not believed that
he would have opposed the President's S
policy in the present instance.
incidentally the announcement is
likely to bring a food of protests from
American manufacturers who have con-
tributed literally to the Republican
&C mpaign fund.
Fhe action Is regarded in some quar-
teru a very frank notice to those
manufacturers that they must come
down In their prices.
The Canal Commission has already
been confronted with prices on steel
rails for the double tracking of the
Panama Railway. several dollars in ad-
vance of what they can be bought in
England. and. in fact several dollars
in excess of what American manufac-
turers are selling for in foreign mar
kets.