The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1907-02-04
Somebody Published a yellow"
Story About the Dinner.
ROOsEvELT-FoRAKER cLAsH2
no Tariff ReVision at This Session Of
Congress 7osst:is-Propossd Change
IN the kethod Of Making Ambassa.
doris OFT Of Ministers.
BY Charles ". AR-HIrR

G4G GkAuA1ou Niuu las Deeu IN exist
ence one Of its-rules has been broken.
The club has but two rules, which are
that Indies are always constructiyeIy
present at It's dinners and that re
porters are never present. In other
words, nothing is ever said that lady
might not hear. and nothing that Is
said is ever published, or at least
never has been until this week. Then
a local newspaper, as well as one or
two In other cities, went to the yellow
extreme of printing an alleged account
OF sensational clash, at the dinner.
between President Roosevelt and SEN
ator Foraker over the Brownsville in
cident. The executive committee OF
the club Immediately issued state
ment branding the story as false, but
the local paper ignored this and pre-
scented in its columns a second story
even more sensational, misleading and
inaccurate than the first Heretofore
the president and other public men
have spoken with the utmost freedom
at Gridiron dinners, with the knowl-
edge that none OF their remarks would
be reported. This recent manifesto
ton of yellow journal tendencies on
the part of the local newspaper re-
ferred to has caused much indignation
In official cfrcles. as well as among
members of the club. which is COM
posed of fifty correspondents of lead
ing American papers and other men
who were originally correspondents.
No Action on Tariff.
The interested public should not be
misled by reports of recent occurrences
at Washington into believing that there
Will be any move toward tariff revision
Mt this session. Two Republican mem
bers in the course of the last few
weeks have circulated petitions for a
Republican caucus TO consider the
whole tariff question, but neither has
succeeded in securing the fifty sigma
lures which are necessary to the call
ing OF such meeting There is un-
doubtedly a considerable sentiment In
favor OF revision among Republicans
from Massachusetts and some middle
western states but the majority is
standing pat with the leaders of thu
two houses. President Roosevelt would
like to have congress take some tang
BILE step toward the negotiation of r.
clprocal trade treaties which would
have the effect. In his opinion. Of avert
ing the loss OF considerable amount
Of business that is now threatened.
He realizes the futility Of attempting
TO do anything in the year preceding
presidential election. however, ard
is therefore bending his energies tn.
ward the accomplishment OF things
which are possible.
AmbassadoriaI Rank Guarded.
There is a disposition In congress to
put stop 10 the practice of raising the
rank OF our diplomatic representatives
abroad whenever any foreign nation
takes similar action with reference to
its diplomatist here The president Is
authorized by existing law to promo.e
the American minister to any country
to an ENTHUSIASTICALLY whenever that
country raises its minister here to the
higher rank. If plan outlined by the
senate committee on appropriations Is
carried out, this law viii lie repealed.
and such promotions hereafter will lie
made only through act OF congress.
The plan Is approved by the president
and the state department, the reason
being that the administration does not
care TO pursue the old course. under
which any small nation by sending m
ambassador here instead Of n minister
Is assured Of having an ambassador
sent it In return. Only once has the
United States taken the initiative In
such matter That was In the case
OF Turkey. and the step was taken he
cause no diplomat ranking lower than
an ambassador may secure an audience
with the sultan.
After Committee Assignments.
Members OF the house az representa-
tlves are already beginning to sklriulsh
for committee places in the Sixtietli
congress Numerous requests have
been fled with Speaker Cannon Tor
good assignments. but to all of them
he has turned a deaf ear. He has
told all the members who have com.
munlcated with him that he may not
be living when the next session con,
yenes and that even If he is he may
not he elected speaker OF course the
chances are a hundred to one that he
will be elected speaker II he is living
but he has made It clear that he re-
CARDS efforts to have committee as
slgnments settled now as altogether
premature and in bad taste.
Because He's a Republican.
Quentin Roosevelt. son of the presi-
dent, and little Miss Sydney Burleson.
daughter of Representative Burleson
Of Texas, attend the same public
school. For long time the two were
close friends; then there came q day
when the little Texan discovered that
Quentin, which was the. only name she
knew her favorite by. was the son OF