The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-11-17
Delegation Of Boot, Shoe and Leather
Men See the President
REVISION OF TARIFF URGED
The President Assured the Delegation
That Their Interests Would Receive
the Attention OF the Executive and
OF CongresS-He SAYS He Was Mis-
quoted i'm the Massachusetts, Cam
Daign by MIR. Whitney. Candidate
for Lieutenant Governor.

Washington, November 15.-Gov-
ernor w. l.. Douglas, of Massaehu-
setts, headed delegation of boot end
shoe and leather manufacturers that
called at the White House today and
made the principal address to the Pres
ident in behalf Of the movement to Sc
cure a repeal of the duty on hides
The delegation numbered twenty-eight
men. representing the various indus
tries interested. In addition to the re-
marks of Governor Douglas, there
were addresses by several of the meE1-
bers of the delegation. Governor
Douglas told the President that the in
terests they represented would willing
ly consent to a reasonable reduction of
the duty Of % per cent. on boots and
shoes in order to obtain free hides
and cheap leather.
Governor Douglas maintained that
the duty on hides handicaps the shoe
industry and taxes the people on es-
sential articles, increasing the cost Of
living. He did not believe the duty on
hides protected or benefited cattle
raisers. With cheaper leather, Gov
ernor Douglas said, we could make
cheaper shoes and increase our export
business many fold.
Following the presentation Of the
views and desires of the delegation, the
President assured them that their in
terests should surely receive the pains
taking attention both of the executive
and congress. In the course Of his re-
marks, he related an experience he
had last winter with committee from
Massachusetts, of which Mr.. Whitney,
recently a candidate for lieutenant
governor of Massachusetts, was Il
member. He said that Mr.. Whitney
had misquoted him in the campaign
which was closed a few days ago, and
declared that he was constrained to
believe that Mr.. Whitney had ''delib-
erately misrepreSented what had oc-
cured
With this experience in mind. the
President declined to enter upon dis
cussion of the subject Of free hides al
this time. The President referred to a
letter he had received from Curtis
Guild, recently elected governor Of
Massachusetts,, letter urging in the
strongest terms an Immediate revision
of the tariff, and especially removing
the duty from hides.
Boston, Mass, November 15.-Gover-
nor-Elect Curtis Guild, Jr., today gave
! out the letter referred to by the Presi-
dent. 1t says:
The Republican ticket, in my judg-
ment would have been Overwhelmingly
defeated if our platform, on which both
Mr.. Draper and I stood, had not con-
tanned a plank endorsing the position
taken last spring by our delegation IN
Congress favoring immediate tariff re-
vision. Both parties in this state de-
sire it."
Mr. Guild says that the duty on hides
is an anathema, and that the duty on
iron ore is no longer necessary. dir
Whitney said:
"T regret exceedingly that President
Roosevelt feels that I have violated
any confidence. | supposed he was en-
tirely willing to have 1t understood
that he favored reciprocity with Can
ada on broad lines"