Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 October 1902 — THE ANTHRACITE TARIFF. [ARTICLE]

THE ANTHRACITE TARIFF.

Indianapolis Sentinel: In his speech to a republican meeting at Madison, on Oct. 10, Secretary Moody of the navy declared that the duty of 67 cents a ton on anthracite coal “was smuggled into the tariff act in a sneaking and cowardly manner” and ought to be repealed at the short session of congress. It is very certain that the tariff was put on anthracite coal without the knowledge of the country, but it is difficult to see how it could have been smuggled into the law without the knowledge of congressmen. In all revisions of the tariff it is customary to compare each provision with the corresponding provisions of preceding laws, and no doubt that was done in this case. In the McKinley law of 1890 the corresponding provisions in the free list are as follows: Sec. 536. Coal, anthracite. Sec. 537. Coal stores of American vessels; but none shall be unloaded. In the Wilson law of 1894 the corresponding provision of the free list was as follows: Sec. 441. Coal, anthracite and coal stores of American vessels, but none shall be unloaded. When the Dingley law was introduced this provision of the free list was changed to read as follows : Sec. 523. Coal anthracite, NOT SPECIALLY PROVIDED FOR IN THIS ACT, and coal stores of American vessels, but none shall be unloaded. This was plain notice to every congressman that some special provision had been made elsewhere, aud was enough to put every one on guard and to cause inquiry as to what the change in this section meant. Its meaning was indicated by the change made in the section providing for tbe tax on bituminous coal, under the classification of “Sundries.” In the McKinly law the provision is as follows: Sec. 432. Coal, bituminous, and shale, 75 cents per ton of twenty-eight bushels, eighty pounds to the bushel; coal slack or culm, such as will pass through a halfinch screen, 30 cents per ton of twentyeight bushels, eighty pounds to the bushel. In the Wilson law was as follows: Sec. 318 Coal, bituminous and shale, 40 cents per ton; coal slack or clum, such as will pass through a halfinch screen, 13 cents per ton. In the Dingley law this provision was amended as follows: Sec. 415. Coal, bituminous AND ALL COALS CONTAINING LESS THAN NINETY PER CENTUM OF FIXED CARBON, and shale 67 cents per ton of twenty-eight bushels; coal slack or culm, such as will pass thorough a halfinch screen, 15 cents per ton of twentyeight bushels, eighty pounds on the bushel. Here again was sufficient notice to put every one on guard, and any one could have learned by very little inquiry that there was no anthracite coal in this world, outside of Pennsylvania, with the exception of a small amount mined in the Donetz district of Russia, that carried over 92 per cent, of fixed carbon. Did the republican congressmen know this and understand what they were doing? On Sept. 20, 1902, in his spe>Ksh at Anderson, Ind., Senator Fairbanks said: We enacted the Dingley law after months of patient, arduous work—after the fullest possible consideration was given to every interest to be affected by the great measure. If this were true, Senator Fairbanks certninly ought to have known that n duty wbb being put on anthracite coal. And he has since stated that he was proud of having holped to frame the Dingley law. it will now be in order for him to state whether he is among those who did not know, as suggested by Secretary Moody, or is to be classed of one who knowingly aided in giving this favor to the coal barons.