The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-07-02
NOT JUST TO OUR SENATOR'S.
From the Lancaster New Era.

From the Lancaster New Era.
The average man is prone to reach con-
clusions that are not always justified by
the facts OF the case. Especially is this
the case in questions where his personal
interests or political feelings are con-
cerned. If either happens to be touched
unfavorably or disagreeably, he is not
slow to express Eis dissatisfaction, with
out giving even a single thought to the
underlying motives that may have called
forth the unsatisfactory action. This is
more especially the case in political af-
fairs. Nowadays every man is con-
sciously, or unconsciously, more or less
of politician. BY this we mean he Is apt
to have his particular views on most OF
the political issues of the day. and as
matter of course his views are right,
while all others are likely to be wrong.
Just now Pennsylvania's representatives,
in the United States senate are being
subjected to q hot fire of criticism. This
criticism is directed, not so much to what
they do, as to what they fail to accom-
plish. With the ordinary failings and
shortcomings of these men we have moth
ing to do but we DO think that at the
present time they are visited with an un-
deserved amount of harsh criticism.
%
Have these critics and assaiiants ever
paused to reflect that the position Of the
senators from Pennsylvania on the pres
ent tariff question is more troublesome
and perpleXing than that of senator's from
any other state in the Union? Perhaps
not and yet such is the fact. There are
other states that are as strongly welded
to the doctrine of protection as Pennsyl-
vania is, but there is not one in the
whole sisterhood that has so many di-
verse interests to be cared for Some of
the New England states have the cotton
and wooden industries, which they strive
hoxv for in hn rpar r>ar1 1rrflT1 ant N
the new tariff. Louisiana has sugar and
so has California. South Carolina and
Louisiana have rice; Maine and Michigan
and Oregon and Georgia have lumber;
California has dried fruits; New York
and some of the western states have the
dairy interest; Kansas and Illinois have
corn and wheat; a dozen states have to-
bacco. All the rest have one, perhaps
several. other industries, and form COM
binations that will give them what they
want.
But how is il with Pennsylvania? Her
interests are more diversified than those
OF any other state-perhaps more than
those of any other half dozen, Look at her;
look at her iron and steel interests; look
at her great glass factories; she is inter-
ested in lumber; her coal industry far eX-
ceeds that of any other state; she Is in
the dairy business; she grows great crops
OF the ccfealS, WfeaI ana corn, DesluSS
| other grains; look at her ship building
| interests on the Delaware; in tobacco
growing and the cigar industry she leads
| all her northern sisters: she has many
| cotton and woolen mills, and her great
carpet manufactures give her close in
| terest in wool. What other common
wealth can make such a showing? She
unites in herself the industries of nearly
all the other states. Every one of these
| interests looks to her United States sem
ators to be taken care Of Senator's from
| other states have a single industry to
| look after; ours have a dozen, and all
are important ones. Then, too, she has
on her soil the manufacturer as well as
| the producer of raw materials. These
| interests are In many cases far from
| identical; In fact, generally they are di-
| rectly opposed to each other. The sheep
| owner wants high tariff on wool, while
| the manufacturer OF carpets and woolen
| cloths a low enc or none Mt all. The iron
| and steel manufacturer asks for protec-
tion to his products, while the railroads
| and users OF machinery demand low GUS
| tom rates on manufactured iron and steel
goods. Not one of all these interests
| cares a snap for any other. Pure sell
| fishness controls every one OF them.
Bach one OF them strives to make its own
point, utterly Indifferent to the demands
or needs of every other.
| All these varying industries have gone
| TO Washington and have interceded with
| our senators for what they want. The
maker OF iron wants a low duty or none
at all on foreign ores; the domestic iron
ore producer wants a prohibitory tariff
| on the Same material. Both cannot be ac-
commcdated. IL resolves itself into a
question OF give and take and then our
senator's are denounced as having voted
I'm favor Of the foreign producer or against