The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-08-15
PLUMB AND HIS PARTY.

No event of the year has worried the
leaders of the republican party SO much
as the bold and sweeping criticisms OF
their tariff policy by Senator Plumb, Of
Kansas. Recognizing that his points
are unanswerable they are now covertly
seeking to break the force of his attack
by charging through the party organs
that he is working to secure the removal
of the duty on lead because he is inter
ested in Montana smelters. That is the
accusation the Butte Inter Mountain
daily brings against him and it is need
less to say that it is false. In the first
place, as we have already pointed out,
the owners Of the Montana smelters are
themselves owners and workers of lead
mines-not Mexican mines either, and
are consequently in harmony with the
other producers Of lead in this country.
In the second place Mr.. Plumb does not
assail the lead duty alone, but tho whole
republican tariff scheme. He has fought
persistently for the reduction of the
duty on iron. Why shouldn't the re-
publican organs accuse him Of being in
terested in iron manufactures in Eng
land2 He wants cheaper ware for the
tables Of the Kansas farmer. Why
doesn't the Inter Mountain accuse him
OF having pecunlary interest in British
potteries? In fact, as the Kansas sena-
tor assails the high tariff system all
along the line, why not lump the charges
against him and let him rest under the
dreadful charge with which the New
York Tribune used to overwhelm an op-
.ponent-that he has been bought by
British gold.
To show how much further than the
lead question Mr.. Plumb goes, we give
few excerpts from his speech which
viii never zee daylight through the
medium Of any republican newspaper in
Montana:
.sThe whole tendency of civilization
was toward the reduction of prices o.
all products of human labor. To claim
that the tariff had been the sole or the
main factor in the reduction of thu
prices of the manufactured goods was t.
ignore all the forces of civilization. TIL,
American people were entitled to hav,
cheap goods il competition could bring
that about"
'sWhen was the time coming when tn
people OF the United States would ge
some benefit from the establishment O
home industries? Just as fast as tn
point was arrived at when lower price
might be expected, the manufacturer
came to congress and said that the
wanted moro duties, whereby that down
ward progress Of prices might be al
rested. The people Of the United State
ought to have their innings some time
and he thought that that time ha
come"
ale could conceive, and he could Sc
that the cohorts OF protection were 6
Organized that the bill was to 60 throug
substantially as it came from the finant
committee. It's passage was foretold
. Philadelphia newspaper articl
hsaded No Delay in the Senate ar
stating confidently that the senate WI
going to put tho bill through as ra
idly as the house had done SO. II
house, he believed, had considered 81
teen pages OF the bill Zone page furth
than the senate had now got), and it W
expected that the senate would take
up and bolt it a. the house had done
aThess people tthe manufacture,
bad had from congress hitherto precise
what thsy asked They had the tar
~ q ths statute book put there by