The Washington herald., 1907-01-15
HEARD AT HOTELS.

HEARD Al HOTELS.
Two useful and energetic young Con-
gressmen, opposed 10 each other seotlon-
ally and politically, yet on the best Of
/ personal terms, stood In the Shorenam
lobby and with some seriousness min
gled with good-natured raiIlery, debated
the question OF the right OF the govern
ment to furnish the farmers with free
seeds. They were Gordon Lee Of Ceor-
gia. and ". W. Cocks. who represents
the First district OF New York State.
Il am sorry that you are against the
distribution Of free seeds" said Lee
You are a farmer. and as a member Of
the Committee on Agriculture you ought
TO be in favor Of everything that Will help
the agricultural interests Of the country
This distribution Of seeds is but a slight
return for the untold benefits we derive
from the greatest Of human industries
Our farmers are the backbone Of the na-
ton. and without them We would perish.
am sure that this appropriation for
seeds is the best money that can be
spent. Last year I sent seeds to every
/
and 1 had a big list-but for fear might
have overlooked somebody. I caused a
notice to be printed In the papers Of my
district, requesting any who had failed
TO get their packages to write me I'm
mediately I got 1900 requests and it kept
me busy. but every applicant was sup
Piled. Don't this prove that the people
are In favor Of continuance Of the sys-
tenn
wish 1 could agree with you. replied
Cocks. Ny experience is all the other
way. Many Of nay Long Island constitu-
ents are farmers. as / am. but they are
scientific tillers Of the soil. and do not
want the cheap and comparatively worth
less seeds which the government fur
nishes. In fact. I've had letters from
numbers OF them asking me not 10 send
them any seeds from Washington. These
men would be glad to get really superior
varieties, but they are careful and want
only the best The sort OF seeds which
Uncle Sam gives out they disdain. When
ever the government viii adopt the oriei-
nal idea Of supplying our agricultural
friends with rare and excellent seeds from
which they can improve existing products.
then ! shall be a convert 70 the free dis
tribution policy"
In 1850 a friend came into my fathers
Office in Boston and congratulated him
on the fact that Congress had reduced
the duty on coal 20 cents "A ton" said ex-
Congressman Charles Z. Coffin, Of Mary
land. at the Ebbitt House
Ny father was large manufacturer
Of iron. one Of the largest in New Eng
land at that time. and employed 800 men
in his rolling mill In Maine. He had TO
get his coal from Nova Scotia. and this
friend thought ne would be delighted AT
the reduction Of duty Instead Of ref0ic-
ing. my parent looked grave and answered
he was sorry Congress had taken such
action Instead Of reducing. Ie wished
that the duty had been raised. because
no matter how greatly the tariff was low
cred the Canadians would be the only
ones 10 reap any benefit
To-day. applying the lessons Of ny
sire, stand for the maintenance Of our
protective system. and J ann here ar
tending the convention for the extension
Of foreign commerce 10 uphold that
policy. A member Of the convention
made an elaborate argument in favor
Of taking of the duty from pig iron.
duty approximaung 81 ton. As a manu-
facturer Of iron, / am bold TO maintain
II this were done the only result would
be 10 make the English iron masters a.
gifJ OF 81 on every ton they are now
shipping 10 the United States We are
having such an enormus demand that
the home concerns cant ill orders. and
50 we are. for the time. compelled TO buy
Of England. The abolition of the duty
would not cheaper the cost TO the Ameri-
can public, but would. as I said before.
just add s. 10 the profits of the foreigners.
This country is prosperous. and the tariff
helps it prosper. To my mind. il is the
height Of folly 10 talk about revising
schedules, and to attempt 10 do so BE-
fore election would only bring disaster
on the Republican party
There is no more conservative or prac-
teal man in the country than Mr.. r. c.
Kerens. Of St Louis. the weil-known
capitalist. railway builder, and mine
owner. 1t has been the dream Of his
latter years to see the completion of a
continuous line Of railway from the
far.hest point IN Canada TO the most
southerly section of South America,
uniting the three Americas in the indis-
soluble bonds Of international commerce.
His knowledge OF that project is COM
prehensive. for he served on the Inter-
national Railway Commission for ten
years. in association with a. J. Cassatt,
the late Pennsylvania Railroad president.
and ex-senator Henry G. Davis, Of West
Virginia.
When We published our report some
years ago" said Mr.. Kerens to a Herald
reporter, at the New Willard. the plans
called for the building of $500 miles OF
trunk line TO link up the existing systems
of the fifteen republics south Of Mexico,
and furnish all-Taii communication be-
tween the factories Of the United States
and the vast domains of Central and
South America. Since that report was
now 1900 miles Of new construction would
give New York City a continuous line TO
Argentina.
4 should say that this line could be
built in five years at an expense of not
over $75.o00000. and il would open to this
country vaster commercial possibilities
than the mind Of man can appreciate II
would carry the American drummer into
regions which our commerce has hitherto
not touched, and it would give Us trade
advantages in an empire that is to-day