Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-11
Sweeping Over All the West
ern States.
PRESIDENTS REM ARK
MAY BE MODIFIED WHEN CON
GRESS MEETS.
If So, VIII Be Because Sentiment Of
Country is Against the
Standpatters.


reciprocity treaty" said President Roose-
welt with vigor as he banged with mis-
Clenched fist the table in the White House
Office one day during the last session OF
Congress 1t was at a time when he was
trying to secure consideration for rectproc-
fly treaties then in hand and in contem-
platoon and the small but powerful coterie
OF high protcctionist senators stood in he
way.
That was the Presidents disposition at
that time He was thoroughly out of pa
thence with the stubborn standpatterns. and
inclined to let things drift until situation
should arise In commerce and politics
which would bring to bear upon the Senate
pressure from the country. He admitted
with chagrin that he could not move the
stone wall, composed of that little group
I'm the Senate, which impeded the way OF
freer commercial Intercourse with European
nations.
1t is well remembered how the highly
protected interests stood together. The
manufacturers of agricultural machinery In
the west wanted reciprocity so as to have
their machinery admitted to France and
Germany at lower rate Of duty than Is
now collected. France willing, but
wanted to put her cotton goods into the
United States at a lower rate, whereup0n
UP rose the balbriggan manufacturers OF
Rhode Island and Connecticut with de-
cided nay. So It went all along the line:
wherever one industry wanted reciprocity
another industry would protest, and some
senator or group of senator's would declarc
that reciprocity could only be passed over
their dead bodies.
What Exhausted Presidents Patience.
1t was this pulling and hauling by jeai-
Gus and conflicting interests that put the
President out of patience and brought from
him the expression reported above and the
determination to let affairs drift for awhile.
Affairs have been moving pretty rapidly
since then. and 1t is significant that they
going IN the direction of forcing the
high protectfoniSts to a stand In the last
ditch. The foreign trade of the United
States is seriously menaced. and when the
President gets back here in the fall he may
find conditions ripe for reconsideration of
his determination and proceed to take up
the subject of reciprocity again.
For two years the American manufacture
ers have been having 1t all their own way.
The foreign trade touching top-notch
figures in the countrys history and Amer
lean goods were in demand everywhere
The home market was furnishing rich pick
ings, sufficient to keep plants running night
and day, and produces were commanding
prices at home profitable as to leave
margin for competition with the outside
world In foreign markets. Everything was
lovely and the goose honking high.
The first rude awakening the manufactur-
ers had the Chinese boycott To be
sure, that had nothing TO do with the tariff.
but 4 meant Curtailment of market
Then came the new German tariff, with its
threa tened severe determinations against
American goods, which would mean a ire
mendous falling off In exports. To be sure,
there was no outward suggestion that
tariff had anything to do with the proposed
German change; Germany was only exercis-
ing her right to frame her tarin to suit
herself. But all the same it was remem-
bered that the Germans had been wIncing
In for
Sudden Activity in Reciprocity.
There is no question that these cons,d-
erations among others led to the sudden
outburst Of activity in behalf of reciprocity
which has been witnessed in the past few
weeks. 1t IS perhaps significant that among
the prime movers were the western agrf-
cultural implement manufacturers who had
ialed 70 have the kasson reciprocity trea-
ties ratified
They Were backed by the cattle and live
stock men and the corn growers OF the
mississippi valley. whose interests were CO.
orulhated- Germauys proposed harsh tariff
meant serious inroads upon the export
trade IN corn products and live stock With
bumper crops in prospect it seemed 10 the
western farmers that 1t would be too bad
to have the home market beaten down with
the surplus of the farms which ought to
go abroad.
II has been remarked as marvellous how
the reciprocity movement begun early this
summer has swept over the west. Reliable
reports Indicate that the whole west Is
aroused, and that most nsistent demands
are to be made upon Congress for modifica-
ton OF the tariff or reciprocity. 1t seems
10 have required the lmminency of IL dras-
tic situation to arouse the country to the
necessity Of more liberal commercial rela-
tons with the outside world. and the action
of China and Germany has apparently
served this purpose.
President Ro0seyelts future course In the
premises has not yet been forecasted If
he recedes from the determination ex-
pressed during the last session and makes
another effort for reciprocity 1t will be
because he thinks the necessary pressure
from the country at large is at hand to be
brought 70 bear upon the stubborn Senate
1t Is true that the President has not only
his influence or that of the adrninistra ton
TO the coming reciprocity conference. but
his aloofnesS In that particular is explained
upon the ground that there Is too much
uncertainty about the politics of this con-
ference for the administration to be identi- /
fled with il.