Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 34, Number 96, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 August 1902 — NO TARIFF REVISION. [ARTICLE]

NO TARIFF REVISION.

GENERAL SATISFACTION WITH EXISTING CONDITIONS. Conirtuman Hopkins of Illinois Preedicts Republican Success Thia Year, and Furnishes Excellent Reasons for Letting Well Enough Alone. One of the cleverest and most sensl- , ble discussions of current political conditions is that of Congressman Hopikns of Illinois, who recently expressed himself in an interview at Washington. Congressman Hopkins, it will be remembered, Isthe ‘gentleman who recently received the iudorsement of the Illinois Republican State Convention as a candidate for the United States Senate to succeed the Hon. William E. Mason. Congressman Hopkins has spent much time in canvassing his State, and the views expressed by him are based on what he has learned through personal contact with the voters of a great commonwealth, In which the Republicans represent the dominant party, but reflect a knowledge and experience In politics covering a wide range of years. Congressman llopkins has not the slightest doubt as to the success of the Republican party in the coming Congressional campaign. He predicts an Increase of at least six Congressmen in his own State—three additional ones which will be named as a result of the new apportionment—and three districts now represented by Democrats. He predicts that Republicans will carry the State by from 75,000 to 100,000 majority. The basis of these convictions Is the general satisfaction among the masses of the people with present political and industrial conditions. There is no general demand for tariff revision. The farmers are prosperous. They are being paid higjj prices for their cattle, sheep and hogs. Present crop conditions are satisfactory and the outlook Is bright. The basic element of the prosperity of the entire country being the success of the agricultural classes, commerce and trade feel the good effect, and there is a, geperal feeling of repugnance to the idea of entering upon any crusade for the readjustment of tariff schedules—something which could not fail to disturb the present satisfactory commercial and industrial conditions. Congressman Hopkins refers to the plea of justification for tariff revision which Is being advanced In certain quarters-, to the effect that certain classes of American goods are sold abroad cheaper than they are sold In this country. He declares that It Is no argument whatever against the American policy of protection, or a valid reason. In Itself for the changing of any existing schedule. Free-trade England sells Its products abroad cheaper than it does at home. It has always done so. England pursues this policy so as to create new markets, and when It has made a market for its goods then prices are raised to make up the losses on previous sales. Complaints are constantly being made because Iron and steel products have been sold cheaper abroad than In this country. Sales at cost are made because of the surplus of these goods. If this be true, this question is asked: “Is it not better to sell these goods in foreign markets at a lower price and furnish employment to more American laborers than to give up the market and reduce the force in our factories?” Congressman Hopkins further illustrates his position as follows: “Suppose in the iron industry there should be a domestic demand for the product of 60,000 men and the mills employed 100,000 men. Would it not be better to continue the 100,000 men on the payrolls and sell the surplus abroad at cost or below cost than to discharge 40,000 men and not fill the foreign order? By giving-employment to the extra 40,000 men they are furnished with funds with which to purchase the necessaries of life for themselves and families, and at the same time to buy the products of the farmers and of those engaged In other branches of commerce.”—Des Moines Capital. In Favor of the Trusts. As a matter of fact, no measure which could pass Congress would be more directly In the interests of the Beef Trust, and more directly against the interests of the farmers and stock raisers of the United States than to remove the duty on live stock. It would give the Beef Trust a cheaper source of supply for raw material and thus enable it to beat down the price of American live stock, for which the trust affords the principal market; while It would not operate in the slightest degree to break the monopoly which tjje Beef Trust Is alleged to have of the dressed beef market. The Democrats simply seek to direct every popular outcry In the channel of an attack upon the Protective Tariff without the slightest regard to truth, fact or logic. The proposed elimination of the Tariff on live stock, in response to the outcry against the Beef Trust, is one illustration, as the proposal to remove the duty on raw sugar, In response to the outcry against the Sugar Trust, was another. Both measures, if enacted, would be entirely In favor of the trusts.—Seattle Post-In-telligencer. Well Fitted It is announced in a New York paper that ex-Secretary Olney has been charged with the preparation of the standard plank of the Democratic platform regarding trusts. He Is the man of all others to do it, having been all his life a corporation lawyer of the first quality. It may be added that as

Mr. Cleveland’s attorney general he declared that the Sherman anti-trust law was so imperfect that it was useless to bring actions under it. Attorney Gen* eral Knox has proved It quite effective. —lndianapolis Journal. Same Old Fight. It is admitted that the members of the Tariff Reform Club are sincere, but they were equally candid, In their own opinions, in 1893-97, when eYerj buslness and laboring man in the United States was being impoverished by the rule of the Free-Trade theories urged by the New York Reform Club. Notwithstanding that incontrovertible fact the same theories are now appealing to other people to contribute the funds necessary to enable that club to again labor for the impoverishment of all the people of the United States by the same methods that were utilized in 1893-97, when the business and laboring men lost more than fifteen billions of dollars during the four years of Free-Trade agitation and rule! It is known by all the Intelligent people of the United States that they lost at least one-seventh of their aggregate total wealth during those four years, yet the New York Tariff Reform Club is again asking the people of the nation to again place themselves in another four years of destruction and desolation. It is the same old fight of the destructionlsts and obstructionists against the continued general prosperity of the people,-but It will fall because the voters of the present generations remember the unequaled hard times from 1893 to 1897. The hard times during those four years, and the general prosperity of all the Industrious people of the United States since that time, fitly Illustrate the difference between the rule of Free-Trade and the rule of Protection for the laboring and business Interests of the United States. ’Protection Protects labor and business and at the same time enables competition between all home producers.—Des Moines Register.

~y How Not to Do It. With the purpose of strengthening the force of his present appeal the President quotes certain expressions of President McKinley. But while President McKinley Intimated that “the greatest blesslhg that can come to Cuba is the restoration of her agricultural and industrial prosperity,” he said nothing in conflict with his positively expressed view that the United States should touch no scheme of reciprocity that would be calculated to injure a domestic industry. An abstract argument in support of the theory that the Cuban bill would not be inimical to the beet sugar industry cannot stand against the unanimous protest of beet growers, beet sugar manufacturers and the judgment of statesmen in all the beet sugar growing States. Cuba can be assisted, in accordance with the wishes of both the late President and the Incumbent, by that will not throw the burden on a struggling Infant Industry that promises, if let alone, eventually to supply at home the 2,000,000 tons of beet sugar that the United States now annually Imports from Europe. If Cuba needs assistance the entire United States will stand ready to assume the necessary burden, which can be distributed in a fair and equal way.—Los Angeles Herald. President Roosevelt. There is a growing Impression among Republicans that no one but Theodore Roosevelt will be considered for the Presidential nomination two years hence.—Springfield (Ill.) State Journal. We would not be surprised to see the re-election of Theoddre Roosevelt made unanimous in 1904. The Missouri Democrats almost started that sort of a movement.—Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Republican. President Roosevelt’s announced intention to devote his time until the meeting of the next session of Congress to finding a trust-evil cure looks as If he intends to fight it out on proposed lines if it takes all summer.—Boston Herald. " The Montreal Herald straightens its spectacles and declares that “Mr. Roosevelt begins to look like a great President.” The resemblance is so strong that it is a wonder it never struck the Herald before.—Milwaukee Sentinel. Oyster Bay does not sound like an appropriate name for the residence of a President, but his career in the White House and outside of it proves that Mr. Roosevelt is not going to allow a little thing like that to stand in the way of his happiness.—Baltimore American. Democratic Harmouy. Mr. Bryan still Insists that free silver is a burning issue. But the trouble is it has burned the party twice already.—Atlanta Journal. Mr. Bryan’s proposal to meet the harmony situation by thawing out dynamite is apt to prove dangerous.—Memphis Commercial Appeal. ■When Grover Cleveland rapped for the overture of his grand opera entitled “Harmony” he found the first fiddles badly out of tune.—Mobile (Ala.) Register. Henry Watterson la disposed to see that the punctures he gave Grover Cleveland do not mortify. He la using salt in the wounds for that purpose. Sgit is a good thing, but under these circumstances, it might hurt—Peoria Journal. The Hon. Grover Cleveland has been so busy ducking the sweep of the Hon. Henry Watterson’s pole ax that ba hasn’t acquired sufficient breath to once more declare it as his opinion that the Democracy still Uvea.—Philadelphia Preaa.