New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-05-14
THE DAyINWAS HINGTON

in demonstrating the correctness OF the
nrono.,t,or that "A little knowledge IL
a dangarou. thing" Coming into ONCE with
certain fads regarding the service, his pre-
d,lectiou, are apt to be utilized by subordi.
Mates N ,nnuence his actions in certain d.
rec,ions 10 the detriment OF that well
rounded whole which 1t should be his pur-
pose to achieve. Secretary Meyer has been
one Of the most successful heads OF the
Navy Department. although he came into
bfice without technical experience. and IL
even vet bad sailor. AS Secretary OF War
Mr. Taft made an unqualified success. al
tboueb he Is essentially man OF peace,
and the same applies equally to ex-Secre-
,arv Root. who achieved extraordinary re-
s,dts both in that department and In that
of State. although il Is probable that State
and Justice require more special training
than any OF the others Nor are there
MANY who would care to predict the fail
IRE Of Secretary Fisher because he has en-
loved little experience with public lands,
patents or pensions. while many will recall
the great success the late Ethan Allen
Hitchcock achieved as Secretary of the In
terror. despite the fact that he was by
experience a business man, and not even a
LAWYER. Probably the chief defect in the
appointment OF Mr.. Stimson is. however.
that IL is as wise from a political point
OF view as it is from that OF the character
and abilities OF the man.
RECIPROCITY AND LABOR.-Shrewd,
far-reaching organization against Canadian
reciprocity as opposed to Ill advised, hap
hazard advocacy constitutes the most seri-
Gus menace TO the Presidents pet policy.
Armed with the advice Of the ablest law
accomplishing wonders In the direction Of
furnishing specous arguments TO those
who want TO destroy IL. The few who
come to Washington to speak in its behalf
do so without adequate preparation, and. 1t
must be admitted. present a sad showing
on the stand. Ard now that the opposition
Of the Grange has been exploited to the
limit, the opponents Of the policy are
rounding up the representatives OF labor
and by their testimony seeking to intini-
cate even some who otherwise would vote
for the bill. The first Of the labor repre-
sentatives 10 appear before the Finance
lOnlNllttSe WdS IlInOlHN ilNdlS' Ricsi-
dent of the International Brotherhood OF
Stationary Engineers. Armed with stats
tics TO show that the stationary engineers
Of Canada received less wages than those
of the United States, Mr.. Healy, who Is
possessed OF a sort Of natural Celtic ora
tory. made a powerful argument, nor was
there any one to puncture the fallacy OF
his assumption that the approval of this
agreement must inevitably result in lower
ing the wages Of the stationary engineers
TO the level Of their Canadian fellows.
Were the Canadian agreement a blanket
agreement for free trade with all the ma
tons of the earth. no more violent and
sweeping opposition could be brought to
bear on ii, and any suggestion that 1t Is
limited to single non-manufacturing
country is met with the declaration that 1t
is only the insidious entering wedge where
by the entire protective system is to be
undermined 1t is the old story Of every
attempt TO revise the tariff The opposition
is well organized and efficient. Those who
neither the funds nor a sufficient interest
10 bring them to Washington, and the few
who come lack the training and advice Of
skilful counsel to enable them to withstand
the heckling of the opponents on the FL
nance Committee.