The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-05-06
Our Washington Letter.
Especial Correspondence of The Journa

QeSt lot or people IN washington just now
are the Populists, the maddest lot are the
lobbyists. And when you get the saddest
and the maddest people CO. operating they
make some noise at least.
That is what's the matter with the
statesmen who are nagging Speaker
Reed because he refuses to appoint COM
mittees in the House. The lobbyists
want committees appointed SO that they
can begin their usual work upon Congress
in behalf of their various jobs. Why the
Populists want them appointed the read
er can infer. 1t seems scarcely probable,
however, that the combined pressure of
lobbyists, Populists, and the section of
the Democracy which is cooperating with
them will be successful in driving Speak
er Reed to the selection of his committees
or the announcement of them before the
close of the session.
The most anxious lot of people in
Washington just now is made up of the
representatives of the great interests de-
string to control the final shapings of the
tariff bill. The sugar trust and other
great organizations which were successful
in manipulating the Democratic bill in
| their interests are lowering about, still
hoping to get some crumbs of comfort out
of the Finance Committee of the Senate.
They admit that the bill is far less advan-
tageous to them than the present law and
their only hope is for some amendments
| by the Senate Committee or the Senate,
but they add that there is little probabil-
ity of that. However, with the enormous
interests at stake they can afford to fight
to the last, for it is generally recognized
that no tariff bill before Congress for
many years has struck so hard a blow at
trusts and combinations as does this one.
The southern element is we'll represent
ed here now, asking increased protection
| tor the products of that part of the coun-
try. The wool growers of Texas the
sugar and rice producers of Louisiana,
| the cotton raisers and timber owners Of
Mississippi, the iron manufacturers of
Tennessee and Virginia, the manufacture
| ing interests of Georgia and Alabama, the
fruit men of Florida, the rice and cotton
! producers of South Carolina, and the rep
| reSentatives of the great mineral interests
of North Carolina, Georgia, and the to-
bacco and hemp growers of Kentucky are
all pleading for thorough protection for
their industries and for action to this end
by the Finance Committee and the Sen
| ate.
ut is extremely interesting and crafty
ing said Chairman Dingley, of the
Ways and Means Committee, s'to observe
the growth of protection sentiment in the
SOUTH
"More strongly marked than ever, is it
not, Mr.. Dingley?'
'Yes, undoubtedly. The experience
of the South in the past few years with
the new industries developing there, the
manufactures and the new demands which
they call out, has strengthened the pro-
tective sentiment very greatly. Not only
for use in the manufacturing establish
ments such as cotton, lumber, iron, coal,
wool and other articles of that class but
| it has also proved advantageous to the
general agricultural interests of that sec
| tom
'Plant factory beside the farm con-
|
i enormously the value of the products of
| that farm
because Of the increased demand?"
"Not altogether. The increased de-
mand is something, of course, but two
other important factors operate to add to
the net value of the productions of the
farm which has factory in its vicinity,
first, the diverstication of its products
and market for diversified products; sec
| ond, the market which is reached with
/ out heavy cost of transportation. Farm
products are bulky and heavy, and where
they must be transported considerable
distance to market the cost of transport
, ing them absorbs the profits. With a
market alongside the farm, or in easy
reach, the cost of transportation is small
and the profits increased
''Then you think the growth of produc-
tive sentiment in the South extends to
the farmers as we'll as those directly
affected by employment Or sale of mate
rial for the factories?'
Beyond question And it will con-
tinue to grow and to carry with it divis-
ion Of sentiment which will result in a de-
mand for fair elections, and thus increase
| Republican strength in that section
| The members of the Silver Commission
expect to leave for Europe about the mid
die of the present month. One result of
their appointment has been the bringing
to the surface of some historical facts with
reference to former action in behalf of in
| ternational bimeta lism. These researches
show that the Republican party has been
the original mover in all former bimetal-
/ lie conferences as if is in this one