Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1909-04-16

To little groups, delegates TO the COM
ing convention Of the D. A. E., are to-
day gathering to discuss the latest So
ciety sensation ia connection with the
fight for tie presidency between Mrs.
Matthew 7. Scott Of Illinois, the admin
istratiou candidate of New York, and
Mrs. William Cummings Story, the 'in-
surgeuts " candidate. Mrs. Scott and
Mrs. DCuald Mclean, president general
of the daughters. have declined to al
tend q reception to be gwen at the VIII
lisrd Hotel tomorrow by vice president
and Mrs. Sherman 10 honor OF Mrs.
story on the ground of previous engage
ments. The reception to Mrs Story BY
the vice president and Mrs. Sherman WAS
announced Yesterday. 1t falls on the
opening day OF the annual convention
aud. while Mrs. Sherms denies that 1t
has any political significance, the sup
porters OF Mrs. Story are jubilanuy
showing the invitations which read ito
meet Mrs. Story" Mrs. MCLEAN and
her supporters gave reception last
night. Mrs. Story is counting on the
help of Miss Helen Boswell, of New
| York, who arrived here today from New
York with the insurgent candidate. Mrs.
Alexander Patton of Pennsylvania is
here 10 support the Observation-Disclosures
candidate and Mrs. Mclean is gathering
her clan to aid the administration csndi-
date. Among these are Mira. John A.
Murphy of Cincinnati and Mrs Samuel
A. Adams OF Pennsylvania. As most OF
the delegates and regents are not pledged
in advance to any candidate for Presi-
dent, the election is expected to be one
of the hottest 10 years. The dedication Of
the new building erected by the dsugh'
ters, which was to have been the event
of the meeting, has dwindled almost
into insigni6cance.
President Taft hsd a conference this
afternoon with President GompeTs and
the members of the Executive Council
Of the American Federation of Labor.
| The Council is holding its regular spring
meeting is Washington aud called upon
The president for the purpose of discus
siug with him certain legislation that lie
demanded by the wage.earners OF the
country. No definite results we're OBJ
tanned, it is said.
President Taft today announced that
be would make an address on May l9
at the unwilling of the Fort Mahon
monument near Petersburg, Va. A
delegation, headed by Senator Martin,
of Virginia, and Representative Ohm
stead, of Pennsylvania, called on the
president to invite him to lake part In
the exercises. 81 have discovered"
said the president, "after thirty days
experience, that the chief requirement
of q president is his ability to resist in
Vitstions. l hope TO be able some time
10 resist the combined assault OF two
states, but as yet I cannot, and will
therefore, / guess, be obliged TO 60"
The delegation included l. B. Brown,
president of the Fort Mahon Battlefield
Commission; Senator John E. Fox,
chairman Of the join committee from
he legislatures Of Virginia and PeUnsyl'
vauia, and Mayor Jones, Of Petersburg,
Va. Letters were read to the president
from Governors SWsnson aud Stuart, OF
Virginia and Pennsylvania.
The proposition advanced By Senator
Bailey for an income tsx amendment to
the tariff bill is finding msny supporters
even among some republican senator's
who are supposed to favor that character
Of taxation. Indeed, so strong is the
sentiment growing that it is today sug'
Uested that, 10 a modified form, Il is
quite possible that the republicans will
adopt the idea as their own and report
it as 8 committee amendment TO the bill.
| If this should happen, it would show a
remarkable change of front for Mr..
Aldrich has announced that the commit
the would stick to straight customs
tariff to produce the revenues without
employing any form Of special taxation.
If the republicans should turn to the
income tax idea, it would be only after
becoming satisfied that the tariff
schedules would not produce the neces-
ssry amount of revenues for the govern
ment or because they became convinced
that democratic republican combination
had the votes to adopt the amendment.
With the 80 democrats Of the Senate
lined up solidly for sn income tax, 1t
would still require fourteen republican
votes to insure a majority for the prop
ositiou, for there are SO republican
members With vacancy on that side from
Illinois, which is still untitled. Friends
of the proposed tax can count twelve OF
the required votes from among the re-
publIcsus OF the western states, aud
there will be a strenuous effort made to
secure the two additional necessary 10
carry the amendment. The democratic
senators today at 2 O'Clock resumed the
tariff conference 10 which they devoted
four hours Wednesday. At that meet
ing they agreed unanimously to support
Senator Bailey's income tex opposition
and make 1t a part measure They also
adopted a resolution declaring that the
policy of the democratic party Was 10
favor of lower duties on necessities and
higher rates on luxuries, but when 1t
came to applying this principle to
particular items or, schedule', they
found themselves hopelessly divided.
So many members wanted to be heard
on the subject that az adjournment M
til today was taken with The understand
ing that the democratic members Of the
finance committee should study the sub
| iect with the object OF bringing In rec
concentrations as to the attitude to be
taken by the party on such important
matters as hides, coal, oil, lumber ETC..
1t is understood that this committee hes
been unable to agree on any one of these
items except oil, which they will recon-