The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-03-02
His Bill in Pigeon Hole Of the Ways
and Means Committee.
TWILL SLUMBER PEACEFULLY.
Where Was "Our Congressman
When Negotiations With Ger
many Were Under Way?
FREE PRESS BUREAU.
WASHINGTON. FEB. "A.


Never was prediction made, and
more quickly verified than that one
made in this correspondence to the eff
feet that Mr.. McCleary's retaliatory
twenty-five percent raise radical and
stand pat tariff bill would never see the
light of day.
Just think what the country will lose
in not having another one minute speech
from McCleary. But he was not intend
ing to get the floor and then extend his
'emarks' afterward this time. Our con-
gresham has been working all this ses-
sion on speech in which he was going
to make thenone great effort of his life.
But now his twenty-five percent bill
will slumber quietly in the pigeon hole
of the ways and means committee. The
effort of that far seeing statesman and
eminent lawyer, Elihu Root, to bring
about an agreement with Baron Speck
Won Sternburg, the German ambassador,
whereby American products should not
be Disseminated against any more than
the products of any other country has
placed Mr. McCleary's measure beyond
the pale of congressional consideration.
But it never stood the shadow of show
to pass anyway.
But the attitude of McCleary himself
is the one standing monumental joke of
the season. 1It beats anything ever UNI
dertaken at, the G4idiron club dinners and
places Mr. McCleary in the anomalous
and absurd POSITION oflthat rude animal
which sometimes tries to create cOnfus-
ion bye buttipg his head foremost into
1 china shops 20 ,rJ SO
Since Secretary Roots diplomatic and
resourceful policy Of negotiations with
the German government have been sue
cessful and the announcement comes
from Germany that there will be amity.
good feeling and cordially, Mr.. McCleary
sprunts up like a. yonng bantam and
proclaims that he, did it with his little
Ratchet. br.g;a ,tr,, r.,s "a
The plain fact Of the case is that the
McCleary billrWas meyer given hearing
by the ways and means committee; that
it would have been heatenlin the house
no matter if Germany had insisted on
her discrimination policy and raised her
tariff wall as high as the Washington
monument. How or why McCleary per-
sists in his policy of insisting that a
twenty five percent raise on German inn
portations would result in doing this
country any good can only be explained
in one way. Mr.. McCleary against his
own will and much to his disappoint-
ment was taken from the ranking mem
bership of the committee on appropria-
lions and denied the craftsmanship which
was his. hearts desire. He was placed
on the ways and means committee,
much against his desire. But he is so
ambitious that nothing can keep the
pace with his determination to make the
country believe that he is a great
statesman. He therefore took the chance
of desperate man and the result
speaks for itself He wanted the coun-
try to hear of him and from him.
A laughable ambition to be sure. But
rimless cipher contains as much sub
stantial qualities as any act OF con-
gress with which the name of McCleary
is linked as the author, and which is ma
tional in its character.
The Record Quoted.
As has been heretofore stated in these
dispatches your correspondent does not
wish to be unfair to Mr.. McCleary. But
we are only doing a public duty when
we call attention to his self-laudatory
claims of accomplishing results.
What does the published record show!
On Jan. Bird. The Washington Post and
other leading papers had statements oil
which the following are extracts:
Secretary of State Elihu Root IS OPP
posed to the McCleary bill fixing Ding
ley rates of tariff duties at the mini
mum and then imposing 25 percent addI-
tional tax on imports from Germany IN
the event that that country puts Its
new tariff schedules into effect March
lst.
st is given out in official circles that
Secretary Root is making substantial
progress in his preliminary negotiations
with the German government.
'Some time ago President Roosevelt
after full discussion of the situation
with Secretaries Root and Shaw agreed
that there should be mutual concession
between both countries at the outset as
sort of modus Vivendi.
''This was before Secretary Shaw had
decided to remain in cabinet until close
of present session.
at is now announced that Secretary
Shaw has changed his views and as the
leading exponent of the standpatters
would prefer some such measure. as NC
Cleary's retaliatory bill.
''T1ence there is some difference OF
opinion in cabinet as well as in con-