Washington sentinel., 1899-05-27
INFORMATION FOR BREWERS.
The Coming National Convention n. .

Detroit the annual Brewers Ma
tio1al Convention. AS usual the
local Association will give the
visitors brilliant reception,
though brewers affairs were never
so gloomy and less promising than
they are now.
Had the brewers not worshipqed
false gods, had they remained with
their friends, and not trusted their
natural enemies, the authors OF
all the prohibitory laws, Raines'
laws and other obnoxious and tyr |
anni:al measures which have |
ruined their trade, there would be
now less cause to complain of bad
times. Had they trusted their old
friends, the Democrats (who have
always protected them, and who,
only the year before the passage
OF the Dingley bill, defeated an
attempt to increase the beer tax
A centsl, and not been misled by
the Republican IN per cent.
rebate bribe into acquiescing in
stead OF fighting the doubling OF the
tax,the Democrats would not have
allowed that outrageous increase,
and would have defeated the two
dollar tax just as they had the ~
cent tax only eight months before.
But Mr.. Dingley, in consideration
Of the III per cent rebate, got the
consent oi the brewers MANAGERS
to the two dollar tax before the
Democratic members OF the Ways
and Means Committee were aware
that negotiations were going on,
and when, afterwards, the Demo
Gratis wanted to help the brewers,
they were told that the thing had
been settled, that the brewers as
good patriots were proud to pay
the 81 tax. The distillers, though
their old war tax had been reduced
TO one-halt, were not patriotic
enough to double their tax, and
they easily prevented an increase.
This concession to Republican
sham patriotism was a mistake, for
which the Republicans in addition
rewarded the brew ers with the
Raines law, and another new con-
coction OF theirs, a "Pure Beer"
humbug restriction.
Under such circumstances the
brewing business is not now a pay
ing one. Many OF the stock com
panies can no longer pay their
dividends. AT the convention the
brewers will, as they did last year,
petition and fight tor a restoration
ofthe old tax, the very thing which
they ought to have done before the
Oingley bill ~as passed, as the
WASHINGTON SENTINEL begged
them to do. But there IS no hope
fer such a repeal at present, at least
not until Mr.. Mckinley and his
party are defeated and with them
the war. AS long as that ruinous
and uni ust law continues there will
be no hope for the reliefofthe brew
ers. Bad times will not decrease
but rather increase.
The brewers must stand by their
friends if they woulc save them
selves from ruip. They must not
ignore, but support, the Demo
Gratis, who are their friends, and
who will help them il they stand
by them. They must moi, as they
did at their last convention, give
credit to the Republicans for work
done by Democrats and discour.
age and disgust the latter. We
cite only two cases. AS is we'll
known Senator Hill, after sitting
up all night, at 8 o'clock in the
morning killed that odious Morse
bill. But for him the bill would
have passed. In the Buffalo con-
vention reports not a word was
said about Senator Hill, all the
credit for the defeat OF the Morse
bill being given to Mr.. Butter
worth, the Republican Attorney
OF the Association, in most glow
ing terms. When Senator Cor
man, a year later, induced the
Democratic caucus to oppose un- |
animouslY the Republican amend
ment increasing the tax "a cents |
and thereby defeated the amend. |
ment, the same happened again. |
Credit even for that work was |
given to Butterworth and not a |
word was said about German and |
the Democratic Senators. That
sort Of business will never pay. If |
we lose the Democrats, and in
Missouri they are shaking already, |
everything is lost, for the brewers
will never receive any favor or
justice from the Republicans.
We have been a friend OF the
brewers for more than a quarter