Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-02-23
OFFICIAL WARNING
OF EXTRA SESSION
First Authoritative Announce
ment Brought by Mccall
from White House.
FEAR STAlEMENT is TOO LATE
Business in the Senate Congest
ed and Chances for Action
on Reciprocity Agree
ment Seem Slight.

Washington, Feb. 19.---The first au-
thoritative announcement that Presi-
dent Taft will call an extra session of
Congress If the Senate fails to act on
the Mccall bill. carrying into effect
the Canadian reciprocity agreement,
came to-day from Mr. Mccall himself,
following an Interview with the Presi-
statement. which is generally under
stood to have been approved formally
by the President. follows:
u believe republican senators are
gradually coming to recognize that,
with tho certain prospect of an extra
session unless they bring the reel
procity bill to n vote, there will be
very serious Inconvenience and embar-
rassmcnt if not danger to the business
and Industrial enterprises that are
really entitled to protection. The Pres
ident feels that he IS under an inter
national obligation 20 summon an extra
session. He Will do this reluctantly
because it is bringing into power a
democratic House >and a Senate much
more clearly democratic than the pres
cnt Senate.
But II the Senate should fail to act.
the President feels that under his agree
rncrt with the Canadian government to
Use his utmost endcavor to havo the
reciprocity agreement confirmed, he will
be compelled to cali the session imne-
dlatclY / imagine the democrats are not
anxious for an extra session. They would
naturally feel that they cannot extern
porizc a revision Of the tariff schedules.
The light renark that you can prepare
a tariff dill over night, or in two weeks
or month. everyone knows to be ut
terly unfounded.
MEANS UNSETTLED BUSINESS.
But what an extra session is likely
to mean is constant agitation and d
continuous investigation into the indus
tries that are made possible by pro-
! lection, and interference with their bust
ness that BODIES no good for business
| at large. The consequence is that if any
one should prevent action on the recipro-
! city bill he would be in the position OF
helping to bring about a condition most
/ injurious to those industries which really
need protection. What follows in an extra
session will not be tho Presidents fault
| The President is a protectionist and eX~
poets to use the veto power, so far as
| he properly may, to maintain the party
| protective principles But it would be a
misfortune to have this inevitable CON
| fllct come nine months ahead Of the time
when it is naturally due.
Garfield, when in the House. voted
against denouncing tho Elgtn treaty.
| which was drawn on almost exactly the
Same lines as is the present agreement.
/ In Grants administrations, a treaty In
rearly the same terms was negotiated and
rejected by the Senate. Mckinley in later
/ times advocated a like policy. and after
| many years of agitation the present ad-
1 ADMINISTRATION has been able to take advan-
! tsge OF an international situation and to
| bring to conclusion a fair, equitable
reciprocity agreement which fills the
measure of McKinley's requirement
| namely, that It shall injure no interest at
! home and shall further increase our for
eign trade The President is impressed
! with the extreme Importance to the coun-
| try of the ratification OF the agreement
and also with the solemn obligation he
| has undertaken TO use his utmost endeav-
or to have ii enacted into law
In conclusion, I desire to call atten-
tion TO the following extract from the
| Presidents speech at Springfield, Ill,
with its attendant warning:
PROTECTION FOR PROTECTION.
There are those conservative pro-
tectonists who hang back from an APP
prevail OF this agreement on the ground
that 1t is a departure from the prin-
ciple of protection and is the open
ing wedge to let in free trade. My own
View is that no step could be taken
more I'm tho interest of a reasonable
policy of protection than the approval
OF this treaty The very existence of
the policy depends on our abolition of
the tariff whore 1t is not really needed
under the principle of the last repub-
lican platform. If we persist in retain
/ Ing II in these times OF high prices
ana gradually exhausting food supply
and base our retention on protection
principles, We shall rouse an opposi-
! ton that Will know no moderation and
VIII not cease radical economic changes
until 1t has removed from the statute
books the last trace of protective tar
| IN"
While ii is the evident purpose OF
the President in permitting the an
nouncement of Mr. Mccall. TO avoid
an extra session by inducing sena-
'ors 10 act upon the agreement. it is
'he opinion of many about the capt
tai mat in all probability the state
heht has come too late. with ap-
preparation bills badly congested, the
Lorimer case pending, the permanent
tariff board bill pressing for consid-
Grafton the general service pension
| hill being urged by many senators
and the resolution for the popular
election OF senators coming up daily
as the unfinished business, the
chances for action upon the recipro-
/ city agreement seem slight. but of
/ course, conditions may change.
There is some prospect that the
Iormor case may be Opposed of on
W cduesday following speech which
senator Lorimer VIII make in his
own behalf. but there is no appnren,
Likelihood Of early votes on any of
the other important measures men
toned
HARD LUCK.
A Brown County farmer Is telling his
| neiphhors that he allows how he Is not