New-York tribune., 1911-02-24

Washington, February g.
MR. ROOTS COUP.-Senator Root. Ia
the opinion OF a number of his colleagues,
has very effectively frustrated the purpose
| Of Senator Cummins and ether insurgents
! 10 promtte their own political fortunes, and
incidentally 10 retard the approval Of the
Canadian reciprocity agreement by urging
numerous demaSogic amendments. MT.
Root whose experience as Secretary OF
State has made him especially familiar
with the conventions between .his nation
/ and others. met the first OF these efforts on
! the part of Mr.. Cumnnins with question
as 10 whether the gratuitous reduction Of
the duty on dressed meats and other COM
nodties imported from Canada would not.
under the favored nation clause, make
necessary similar reductions on like prod
/ ucts imported from all other nations
While Mr.. Cummins said no. the correct
answer to this question was so obvious mat
! y took the wind out of the sails OF those
! "retrogressive progrcssives' VINO nave
/ fairly howled over the iniquities OF the
Payne tariff law and have wept copious
crocodile tears over Gods penniless poor,
but are ready 10 stoop 10 any method
which. I'm their Judgment Will compass The
defeat cf the Canadian agreement. MT.
Root ioreshadowed his question of to-day
when he remarked recently that n clear
distinction must be drawn between the reel
procity agreement and a tariff BILL although
ne did not then elucidate the thought that
was I'm his mind Mr. Roots question makes
plain his conviction. which must be ac-
cepted as authoritative. that the reduc-
l,N.y NJ a
nrocity agreement IS wholly without the
scope of the favored nation clauses en-
bodied in practically all the treaties III
force between the United States and the
other nations Of the world. while it Is
equally obvious that he believes-and there
are few who viii care TO question the cor
rcctness Of his opinion-that any reduction
o. the tariff not a part of such an agree
mont would come within the scope Of such
clauses and. therefore. would ultimately
have to be conceded 10 all other nations.
Under these circumstances Mr.. Cummins
and his allies must abandon the pose OF
protectionists o. else they must abandon
their efforts ta amend the Canadian agree
ment
CUMAINS's INCONsISTENCY.-T That
the author OF resolution seeking so TO
amend the rules Of both houses OF Congress
as TO make feasible tariff revision scheduir
by schedule should be the first 20 abandon
that principle and TO undertake, by com
Dlicatinc the issue before the senate. 10
defeat the Administrations concrete effort
tc afford the consumer some relief from
the increased cost OF living, constitutes one
Of those anomalies which continually per
plcx the white House in its efforts to deal
frankly and fairly with the insurgents. The
administration regarded itself as amply
warranted in the expectation that, however
determinedlv its Canadian policy might be
ouposed by the extreme "stand-ratters' Of
the Cannon. Dazell Hale and Hepburn
type. it would AT least enjoy the cordial
SUPPORT Of those members OF Congress who
have ostertatiously posed as progressiyes
and ravisionists To say that the admins
tration is seriously disappointed would
rerhaps. he putting the situation too strong
ly But those who have been prone 10
c~iticise President Taft because they have
been led TO believe that his sympathies
were with the conservatives, and who have
been censorious in their condemnation OF
his apparent confidence in the conserva-
tiyes. especially those in the Senate, may
now have occasion to reflect that any skep-
ticism the President NAV have entertained
REGARDING the dependability Of insurgent
support Is being abundantiy Justified.
Mr. TAFT MYSTIFIED.-The President
frankly asserts that to a well meaning and
simple minded Chief Executive the anach-
ronisms Of American politics are perplex-
inc 0Ir Taft does NOT make A practice of
reading the pages Of the undertaking msga-
zines. but he has scanned them with sufi-
cient frequency TO gather the impression
that in their estimation lobbying is q prac-
tice so pernicious as 20 merit the severest
condemnation. lie admits, therefore, that
he is greatly mystifed by the reports which
reach him daily regarding the powerful and
persistent lobby that haunts the halls or
Congress in the interests Of these same
magazine publishers. When experienced