Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1897-07-08
WASHINGTON LETTER.


IS w ASHINGTON LETTER.
From OR Regular Couespo
There never was q clearer case Of
asking for bread and receiving .,
stone than the so-called antitrust
amendment to the tariff bill, pre-
pared by the republicans OF the
senate finance committee. It was
not their first intention to report
any amendment on this subject,
but they became satisfied that if
they did not there was danger that
the Pettigrew antitrust amend
ment, which was recently tabled by
q little parliamentary juggling,
might be brought to direct vote
and be adopted. Then they got
their heads together and concocted
the shame that will be just as in
furious to the trusts as the Sher-
man antitrust law has been, and
they actually expect the voters of
the country to accept their work
as an earnest and real attempt to
curb the power of the trusts, in
stead of seeing it for what it really
Is; an attempt to bamboozle the
voters who don't know any better
than to look to republicans for
Legislation adverse to truste.
Senator Turpie gave the repub-
lican tariff bill raking fore and
aft in speech in favor of the
amendment supported by the
minority of the finance committee,
to tax inherltances over $1,000, 2
pei cent for the next five years.
He told the republicans that they
had made the measure prohibitory
and that besides no bill had ever
been presented that made SO large
and unprovoked a spoliation of the
worlds commerce. He said there
was compound felony" in nearly
every schedule of it, and that the
bill made it almost a penal offense
to carry on trade with the people
of South and Central America,
while one.third of it was declar-
alton of war against France, Ger
many, and the continent of Europe.
He added that the rates in the bill
were akin to bribery and rapine
dictated by a "band1tti of syndi-
Gates" He closed by referring to
the silver question and expressing
the opinion that the abandonment
of the free coinage of silver by this
government was step in excess of
the rightful authority of those who
had ordered it done.
Skin games can no longer be
played with impunity upon the
credulous by INSCRIPTIONS men en-
gagged in the business of soliciting
patents. Commissioner Butter
worth declares that nothing Tut
straightforward honorable business
methods are to be allowed in the
practice before the patent Office
while he is at its head and that the
patent sharks must go, and to show
that he means Business he has
within short period disbarred
eight. attorneys from practice be-
fore the q. s. Patent Office for
crooked business, and has cited
John Wedderburn & Co., who are
officially charged with specific in
stances of fraud and deception in
their dealings with inventors, to
show cause why they should not
also be disbarred.
The republicans of the District
of Columbia who contributed
money and time to elect Mckinley
are inclined to say cuss words
every time they glance over the
list of seven juicy diplomatic places
which have been given to residents
Of the district. With the exception
of John Hay, who is more of a
literary man than a politician and
more of a club and society man
than of either, and Louis A. Dent,
who was the late Mr.. Blaine's pri-
vate secretary for a long time, the
average republican had never