The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-27
..THREE OF A KIND.

The time has come when the outsider
may arrive at an intelligent conclusion re-
specting the most remarkable Democratic
wrangle in Washington over the tariff
There are three distinct elements-the DEM
ocratic sugar interest, representing the re-
fners' trust and the Louisiana sugar grow
ers; the free COAL and, incidentally, the
free ores interest, consisting of a syndi-
cate Of New York and New England cap
italists composed largely of the Presidents
personal friends, and the extensive coal
and iron ore interests in Maryland, the
Virginias. Alabama, etc, represented by
Democratic Senators. Despite the fact
that the Presidents element assumes the
high and virtuous pose and have had the
reform and free-trade organs denounce the
Sugar Trust and the coal and iron inter-
ests mercenary and corrupt, the three
elements now in the contention are three
of a kind" The sniveling Cleveland or
gans with piously uplifted eyes daily hold
up Senators Brice. German, Smith. Caf-
fiery, etc, as very wicked men, and doubt
less they are in the sense that most Dem
ocrats are thus inclined; but in view Of re-
cent revelations Brice and German are no
more mercenary plotters than is the Presi-
dent and the free-trade Pecksniffs OF the
Dominion Coal Company-not particle.
The Sugar Trust has been fighting for
high duty on sugar with a "differential"
for gain and the Louisiana Senators have
contended for the same thing the repre-
sentatives of Louisiana with a great sugar
interest. The coal and interests of five
or six States have fought for protection to
save their markets and their industries.
The element demanding free coal and hypo-
critically making the same demand for iron
ores are contending to make available, as
a means of wealth, the coal fields of Nova
Scotia, which its wealthy capitalists have
bonded, and which will be worth millions
with coal on the free list
Such are the three distinct elements in
the Democratic confusion. Can any cam
did reader select any one of them which
he would rate as better than the other
two? The sugar schedule and the sugar
Senators have been most vehemently de-
nounced. but Mr.. Cleveland is not hostile
to the imposition of high and discriminate
ing duty on sugar. No one can show his
words even denouncing the "differentiar'
duty Of one-eighth of L cent a pound; but
his declaration that sugar is a proper arti-
Gle for taxation is in his Wilson letter.
Besides, both the agents of the refining
trust and the Louisiana Senator's assert
that before the election Mr.. Cleveland
promised high duty on sugar. Further
more the sugar schedule was agreed upon
while the finance committee was in con-
sultation with Mr.. Cleveland's Secretary of
the Treasury. For these reasons whatever
infamy is attached to the sugar schedule
the President shares. Why. then, did the
President write the Wilson letter? Read it
again. Where does his assault fall? Upon
the sections imposing a duty on coal and
ores. That is because the coterie of wealthy
has always chung are insisting upon free
coal that they may realize millions out of
their Nova Scotia coal lands. Those men
have had lobbyists in Washington, and
they have been near the President. No one
says that the President owns stock in the
Dominion Coal Company; no more can
they assert that Brice. German or Smith
owns Sugar Trust stock The third of this
trio are the extensive coal mine interests
in the Virginas, eastern Pennsylvania and
Maryland They are insistent upon a duty
on coal which will give them an advantage
over the Nova Scotia coal syndicate made
up of Mr. Clevelands friends.
These are the three contentions-three
factions of professed free traders. each
striving to obtain advantage in a tariff
BILL Six Senators for sugar and dutiable
coal hold the key to the position, which
leaves the Cleveland Nova Scotia syndicate
out These Nova Scotia men induced the
President to write the Wilson letter. believ-
ing that it would brighten the Senate into
compromising with the House by putting
coal on the free list and leaving sugar
where ii is. The coal Senator's did not
scare, and the sugar Senator'S must stand
with them. Hence the row. They are en-
phatically three OF kind"
THE PRESIDENTS SCHEME.