Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 July 1902 — POLITICS OF THE DAY [ARTICLE]

POLITICS OF THE DAY

The IsHues Outliued. The Democrats of the House of Representatives struck the keynote Jn outlining the issues for the coming congressional campaign, and upon the issues presented the Democracy ought to be able to elect a majority of the members of the next House of Representatives. The Republican party is Justly and severely denounced for Its failure to fulfill the pledges of the country to grant relief to Cuba. The platform declares that “The bill which passed the House of Representatives was heartily supported by the Democratic minority after the protection to the sugar trust had been removed by the solid Democratic vote, aided by a small minority of the Republican members. As It passed the House the bill carried relief to Cuba, reduced the price of sugar to American consumers and struck a heavy blow at the notorious ami obnoxious sugar trust. The refusal of the Republican Senators to consider this measure unless the protection to tne sugar trust should be restored, gives evidence that the President and Republican party in Congress are willing to refuse relief to Cuba and totally ignore American consumers rather than abandon their alliance wifb the trusts. The failure of all reciprocity legislation with Cuba rests upon the Republi can administration, which- is willing to reduce the duty on the raw sugar of our producers, but unwilling to destroy the sugar monopoly.’’ The House Democrats favor an amendment of the anti-trust law so as to protect trade against unlawful restraints and monopolies, and rightly deelan* that the Republican majority In Copgresa Is dominated and con trolled by the trusts ami monopolies, which have the great industries of the country in their grasp. The Republican Congress has refused to pass an anti-trust bill, or to take any steps to aiipprc/s trusts or to assist any antitrust bill introduced by Democratic members of Congress. Truajjs and the tariff and failure to relieve Cuba are the paramount issues laid down by the House Democrats, and the discussion of these issues in a forcible manner will undoubtedly arouse popular sentiment against the Republican Congress and party.—Syracuse Telegram. Nation’s Honor Sacrificed. The late session of Congress, acting Cor the Republican party, made every sacrifice demanded by the “protected Interests.” Cuba and the national honor were offered up to them. And for the sake of the protected interests the people of the United States are to have no protection from the shoddy swindlers. Touch one protected Interest and all the protected interests make its cause their own. So the Grosvenor bill was smothered In committee. Out of deference to the policy of protection the rogues who sell ahredijed rags for wool are to be permitted to continue their cheating trade. All ttjr Grosvetfor bill demanded was that i;(oth made of shoddy should be labeled and sold for what It Is and not hr something else. But the counterfeiter* declared that they would be ruined if compelled to be honest, and they threw the usual threat to the other protected interests: “If we are meddled with we shall turn upon you and see to it that you are also stripped of protection.” The threat was successful. It always is. The Republican party U In the grip of private interests. Millions are Invested in the shoddy business.. It has corrupted nearly the whole cloth-making trade. Behind the tariff fence it Is found more profitable to manufacture counterfeit than real cloth. Hence the proposal to Interfere with atioddy alarmed one of the most highly protected Interests in the <*ountry. Though there was no attempt to touch the tariff on materials from which shoddy is manufactured, the fight Ln shoddy's behalf was waged by tariff-sheltered cloth-makers. No cpen argument could be offered agalnyt the Grosvenor bill. It was obviously a simple measure to put a stop to a fraud which has for its victims the masses who cannot afford to buy clothing made of Imported doth. Common honesty has been given up to the •‘protected interests” along with the national honor. 8110(1 are the inevitable fruits of Protection, hs fostered and developed by the Republican party. —Chicago American. Actions Speak Louder than Word*. After his Pittsburg •speech in which be s|K)ke against the trusts Mr. Roosevelt attended a luncheon and reception nt the residence of 11. ('. Erick nnd a dinner given by Attorney General Knox to 200 o? “Pittsburg’s captains of Industry.” Mr. Erick was one of the prime movers In the greatest trust ever organised and the 200 captains of In dtistry are in the trust tureen up to their noses.—. Memphis Commercial-Ap-’ peal. United for Public Robbery. ; The Cuban reciprocity fiasco has demonstrated again tlie unity of the protected interests. At thv beginning of this session of Congress many Republican leaders oven did not understand what a powerful bond existed In the greed for government aid. No •ooner was the Issue fairly before Con-

gress than the “infant industries” came trooping to the aid of the beet sugar people. Franklin's dictum, “Let us all hang together or assuredly we shall all hang separately,” became the motto of the protected industries. The strength of organized greed has been alarmingly proved <n the events of the last few weeks. The Cuban reciprocity leaders find tliat the Republican party has created an artificial monster which it cannot control.—Kansas City Star. Belated Rooaeveltian Thunder. Now that Congress, the only power that, can deal with the trusts, lias adjourned, President Roosevelt Is awfully mad at the big combines and he is going to do terrible things. The simple method of dealing with the trusts was pointed out not alone by Democratic statesmen and newspapers, but by many of the ablest Republicans and Republican newspapers in the country, but President Roosevelt was so busy not listening that he failed to hear of it. and so Congress escaped before the proposed remedy could be forced before it for consideration. The remedy proposed was to put all articles manufactured or produced by the trusts on the free list. If Congress had taken that step it. would have smashed the trusts at once; and there's the secret of Congress not taking that step and there's the secret of Teddy’s failure to thunder in this direction while Congress was in session.—Johnstown (Pa.) Engineer. Prosperity Under Free Trade. That since the free, trade system went into operation (1846) British shipping and commerce have thrived as never before seems to be proved by the following table of the total value of British imports and exports at the different dates named: 1855. .£266,600,000 1880. .£607.000,000 1860.. 378,<XX),000 1890.. 740,000,000 1870.. 547,000,000 1900.. 877,000,UW This shows that, expressed in our money, from a total value of $1,300,000,000 a year in 1855 British commerce, untariffed and unbounded, expanded in forty-five years to the yearly value of $4,385,000,000. The no less Impressive increase of British tonnage in the same period is shown in the table following: Tons. Tons. 1850.. 32,634,000 1 880... 132,250,000 1860.. 58,707,000 1890... 164,340.000 1870.. 73,198,000 1900... 208,707,000 Taking Chances on the Tariff. Possibly Attorney General Knox is doing as well as any man could In. the prosecution of the trusts. Possibly Congress might have been of assistance to the Attorney General by passing new and more strenuous laws. It would have been still more effective, though, had it attacked the foundation of the trusts—viz., the monopolistic features of the tariff law. The Republican leaders were afraid to open the tariff question. There was danger that a small aperture would be taken advantage of to push In a general revision. They preferred to stick to the barons and take the chances on the tariff Issue. It sometimes looks as if it would be best for the Democrats to assume a restful attitude and wait for victory to be carried to their very doors.—Cincinnati Enquirer. Day nf Reckoning to Come. Rebuke and punishment await the Republican party in the near future. The .settlement with the people will be a settlement exceedingly costly to the political organization which has surrendered the people to the oppression of the trusts. This truth of treachery is so well known to voters that there is no way uy which Republican speakers or machine organs can longer distort its meaning. The-majority party in the Congress now Just ended has, Indeed, the best of reasons for alarm. That party has wrought Its own undoing In so blindly obeying the evil commands of the trusts. St. Louis Republic. The Truatß Are In Command. The trusts command the situation and there Is no chance for effective relief from the Republican President or Republican Congress. All the trusts have to do Is to threaten to shut off tip* supplies for political purposes In the next Presidential campaign, a matter which the President has very much at heart. No doubt there will be a vigorous beating of tam-tams nnd “strenuous" words from' the President, but there It will end. It Is n game of de» ceptlon and humbug. The President could not If he would nnd he would not If he could. Pittsburg Post. Democracy Needs a Leader. The -nstlncts of the masses of the party have brought them together on certain main Issues now before the people. It Is possible that before the next great contest a national leader will arise who Mill be free from fac-’ tlonal entanglements, with nothing to explain and no revenge to wreak. Such a leader will have the loyal support of Democrats who have been wasting their strength In party feuds. It Is desirable that there should be harmony, but It Is altogether likely to be remot* i until a k-uder arises who can compel it. - Cleveland Plain Dealer. Work wields tho weapons of power, wins the palm of success, and wears the crown of victory.—A. T. Plersou.