Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-15
The Speaker. the Senate and the Trust

The Speaker. the Senate and the Trust
Speaker Reeds emphatic assertions with
regard to the Senate sugar schedule are en-
titled to the warm commentator of every
republican in the country, for he is seeking
to prevent the commission of a blunder
fatal to the party. 1t is immaterial whether
the Senate conferees resent his attitude in
the matter or not. Their own attitude Is
subject to much severer criticism, for If it
should result IN the surrender of the House
the party now in power will surely feel
the resentment of the people at the next
elections.
The sugar schedule originally pre-
pared by the Senate subcommittee was
outrageously partial to the Trust. 1t was
received with expressions of angry protest
from all classes of citizens, from party
managers. from voters. business men and
newspapers of influence and standing.
This storm of Indignation caused the man
ayers of the bill in the Senate to turn in
their tracks and substitute schedule was
presented and adopted 1t appeared on its
face to be much less favorable to the
Trust. but 1t was so involved in It's terms.
so confused In Its phraseology and so
technical that few persons could under
stand it or appreciate it's ultimate effects.
spectators recognized that even when
disguised as a compromise the new sched-
ule was designed for the sole sake of the
Sugar Trust. and when word was wired
to New York from Washington that the
Senate conferees were standing firm In
their refusal to yield that point. and
that the Senate schedule would probably
be adopted, the stock of the American
Sugar Refining Company, which is the
official name of the Trust, went up to an
unprecedented point and remains there to
this hour.
Wall street bases its speculations on a
shrewd knowledge of men and measures
1t has seen the Senate conferees win not
able victories in the past. 1t has seen the
House back down abjectly before the asser-
ton that the bill in the hands of the Sem
ators was the only measure that could pos
sibly pass the upper house. That pretense
has been worked until it Is threadbare but
1t still prevails as potent influence. Wall
street knows. too, that the Sugar Trust is
possessed of powerful influences in the Sem
ate and the conference committee repre-
senting that body. 1t knows that Senator
Aldrich Is the author of the original sched-
ule that provoked so much righteous wrath
and probably the inventor of the alleged
compromise tndl mas sent the STOCK ffylng
Heavenward. 1t knows as well that Sem
ator Jones. whose vote is the dividing line
between the two parties both in the
Finance Committee and in conference, is
the most persistent fighter for the last
item of advantage for this Unsuitable mo-
noDoly.
Wall street bases it's calculation, too,
upon its acquaintance with the wide-reach-
ing the Trust re
TO take hand in every department of the
government. if necessary. to further it's
selfish interests. II has seen the tentacles
OF the Trust stretched forth to choke the
Hawaiian reciprocity arrangement and it
has seen the same long. powerful arms go
out to grapple with the annexation treaty
and kill it, 1t has witnessed the subiuga-
ton of the American beet sugar grower to
the interests of the Trust. thinly disguised
under the name of another corporation. 1t
has seen the influence working, in short in
the domestic affairs of the people, in the
management of political parties. in the ad-
ministration of the government, in the
making of its laws and in the formation of
its foreign policies. 1t knows that the
Sugar Trust acknowledges no barriers, no
limitations.
There is no wonder, then, that the specu-
ldtinS circles place great commence IN the
ability of the Trust to pull through this
emergency. But Speaker Reed has likewise
correctly guaged the power and influence
of the Trust and the evils that are sure
to fall upon any political party that pub
licly espouses its cause and aids 1t in its
enterprises. He has put forth his hand to
save his party from this disaster. and it
is a compliment to him and a confession
of eli be
Senate conferees to protest against the
interjection of his influence into the affair.
As Speaker of the House. the legislative
leader of his party and as one of that
party's ablest men he has every right in
the world to advise his colleagues of the
conference committee and TO seek to pre-
vent an act of political suicide.
The London edito-ialists who seek to