Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1888-07-05
The Lumber Trust.

Mr. Anderson, OF Iowa, the successor
of Maj. Hepburn in the House, who was
elected rs an indepenpent Republican,
has given the G. o. p, great deal OF
trouble in the House for the past week.
He has read the riot act, so To speak. TO
Mr.. Read and the other Republican lead
crs, for not carrying out the pledges the
partv has made TO the people in the re-
ducti1n OF taxation. Mr.. Anderson. in
speaking Of the manner in which the Re.
publicans met the proposition. jumped
onto Mr.. Reed and said that il would not
do for gentlemen To ask questions with
sneer, leer or ieer, into which the
gentlemen unwittingly drift In their ques'
tiOns, and which compose at least three
fourths of their arguments. Laughter
and applause. Continuing he said:
Il have stated that there was lumber
trust in Iowa. and you ask me TO prove
ii. Were there no proof OF trust, you
would all deny its existence. until il be-
comes as patent and rs open 20 eycrr-
body rs the existence of the Standard Oh
company. You denied the existence OF
the Standard Oil trust, and you asked
who composed it. and you would not ac-
knowledge that any such trust existed,
until its existence was known to every.
body. Until the existence of the Stand.
ard Oil trust became palpable TO all. you
continued TO deny, in the face Of the
country, that there was any such trust.
just as you deny the existence of lumber
trust in the State of Iowa. / have said
that there was such a lumber trust in the
State of Iowa. II you want to learn all
the facts, why do you not go before your
congressional committees and make an
invest.gation2 The committee on manu-
features has been holding an investiga-
ton during this SESSION on these matters;
why do you not go before that committee
and find out whether there Is lumber
trust in Iowa or not? In view OF the
record which our protection friends have
made what answer can they make to the
people Of this country who suspect that
they have not been dealing with them in
good faith. First the plea was infancy;
but at the time that plea was made they
believed that when they had arrived at
the state of manhood they would be able
To open the gates and go out and meet all
competitors upon the field. Yet now
they seek to take refuge behind the other
pleas which have mentioned.
You have learned something. and you
need not crtiCse those who suspect tho
cause of the great conversion Ito which
| want to allude if have time) that has
taken place in this country. which is at.
tributcd simply to an enlightened states
manship and greater scope OF view.
They passed the stage of infant indus
tries, they came To the stage Of war
necessities they pleaded the misfortuncs
of the country and took new position
before the American people. and took 1t
in order to 20 back on il directly and to
prove as recreant TO it as they had proved
to the pledges which they gave the coun-
try when, in consideration of infant in
dustries, the first protective duties wore
imposed Under these circumstances |
ask my friends on this side Republicans
with whom have trained all my lite. in
the face OF the distinct pledges that have
marked the history Of this business from
its beginning-I ask how do they ac-
count for the wonderful stride they have
made with reference TO this question? l
am a Republican and ALWAYS have been.
| learned all my political knowledge,
though ii may be little. in the Republic
can household and while there are those
who will criticise me with reference to
my party fealty, ii does not alter the fact
that am familiar with the history of
the Republican party Of this country.
know its record, not only in my State.
but in this Union, with reference to this
great economic question"
During the course of the Iowan's
speech the Republicans made many at
tempts to throw him of his guard, but il
was futile He held his own well and il
could plainly be seen that his side of the
house was feeling keenly the blows their
own colleague was dealing them The
Democrats hocked about aud at the con
clusion of his speech he was given a
glorious ovation. lie is a very favorable
speaker and was accorded good attention,
aside from the Interruptions made by
those on his own side OF the house.