Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-06-22
by Unnecessary TaxatiOn-Repub-
hcans Trying to Dodge RespOnsi-
bility for Cuban Scandal Trusts
Are Being Favored.
Especial Correspondence

rectly or indirectly matters but little
so long as the fact is borne in mind
that labor in the end pays it all.
Were these taxes to be returned, to
the people who pay them, in public ben
efits there might be reasonable acqui-
escence in bearing such, burden: IN
fortunately not one dollar in ten ever
really gets back to the taxpayers. The
public funds are consumed by tax
eaters, a hungry swarm ranging from
the smallest place holder disconnected
with wages far in excess of what he
could earn in private employment, up
to the mighty specialized interests
which look upon the government as
proper victim for their exploitation to
the extent of millions.
When it is considered that congress
adjourns with some of the greatest
schemes of republican grab still hung
up between the house and senate the
country will stand aghast at what may
yet befall unless a check be given to
this reign of prodigality by democratic
success next November.
Republican Pretense.
The hollowness of the republican pre-
tense of opposition to trusts was Illus
trated by the action of the ma jority on
the proposed constitutional amend
ment followed by the almost unani-
nous vote of the house passing amend
ments to strengthen the Sherman anti
trust law.
The republicans refused to permit
the democrats to have either voice or
hand in shaping the constitutional
amendment. Its defects. its antiquities
and it's weakness were properly shown
up by the democratic speakers, yet the
republicans were obdurate and pre-
ferred to have it considered as parti-
san proposition. As result the
amendment was badly defeated. as the
republicans intended it should be. La
Dor leaders went to Chairman Ray, of
the judiciary committee, and to Repre-
sentative Littlefield, of Maine, the au-
thor of the amendment, and proposed
that labor unions be specifically ex-
cepted from its operation. But they
were refused, though it was plainly
demonstrated that INSCRIPTIONS
judges could take advantage of the lam
guage of the amendment to suppress
every labor organization in the coun-
try. It was also pointed out that
farmers alliance OF a benevolent asso-
citation could be equally brought under
the ban of judicial construction.
The republicans showed surprising
Willingness to allow the Ray bill,
amending the Sherman act, to come to
J vote in the house. They were finally
coerced into accepting an amendment
proposed by the democrats excepting
industrial organizations from its opera
tion Thus amended it went through
with a practically unanimous vote, al
though several of the republican lead
ers made themselves conspicuous by
opposing the amendment referred to.
The necessity is manifest when it is
explained that the Sherman antitrust
law had been twisted by inscriptions
Judges in numerous instances to apply
to labor unions, while the trusts at
which it was aimed were permitted to
go scot-free.
But the republican willingness to
pass the bill through the house found
its adequate explanation when 1t
reached the senate, where Senator Pet
tigrew moved that it be placed upon
the calendar for immediate action, but
Senator Gallinger, of New Hampshire,
a republican, moved it's reference to
the judiciary committee for the sole
purpose of burying it forever.
The Cuban Affair.
Postmaster General Smith is now
squirming to dodge responsibility for
the Cuban postal scandals After four
weeks of public discussion of that
nauseating affair he comes to the front
with claim that he recommended re-
trenchment and a reduction of expendi-
lures as far back as last January. Al
though this is evidently an after
thought on the part of Mr.. Smith, it
might be accented with better grace
were he not guilty of an outrageous at
tempt to mislead the public as to the
extent of the Cuban defalcatiops. In
/ an authorized interview he states that
these defalcations viii be found to be
less than 100000. In making this
statement he knowingly and purpose
1y ignores the fact that Nicely and his
confederates stole $500, 600 worth of
stamps and disposed of them and that
the $4,000 of defalcation is in excess
of the stamp stealing referred to-. Mr..
Smith further ignores the fact that for
nearly year Rathbone, the head of the
Cuban postal service, was given abso-
lutely unlimited authority and that he
failed to make single one of the
monthly reports for which the regu1a-
tons called. Mr.. Smith also ignores
the fact that under his control several
scores of postal employees have been put
in Office and retained there without any