Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-03-29
NOTES FROM WASHINGTON.
Items of Interest ON Important Is
sues for Democratic
Readers.

Senator Mark Hanna and his able
colleague, Congressman Dick, are
spending considerable portion of
their time getting ready for the COM
ing campaign. The trusts are to fur
nish the backbone of the aforesaid
campaign, so far as finances are con-
cerned.
1t is to be a campaign with plenty
of money to spend. SO far as the re-
publicans are concerned. Hanna is
said to have lined up the various big
trusts and notified them what per-
centage each one is expected to con-
tribute to the campaign.
Hanna in the senate and Dick in
the house have labored faithfully and
directed their colleagues skillfully
that the trust interests might be
served. There are number of house
members who voted for the Porto
Rican tariff bill against their own
convictions, but were whipped into
line by the argument that if they
failed to do so the trust finance fund
for the campaign would not be forth
coming.
It does not sound very patriotic
when put into cold type, and there
are plenty of disguised republicans
now in congress who wish that the
administration was not so thoroughly
committed to trust dictation that
they must accept it too. either direct
" or Indirectly. or else be entirely
out of line with the party.
The democrats propose to fight the
campaign on principle. They will not
have dollar of trust money in their
fund 1t is conceded that the repub-
leans will have to put up a defensive
fight. 1t will take plenty of money to
conduct that kind of campaign, and
it has never been lucky one for
the republican Even Hanna, with
his faith in the ability of money to
insure political success, is reported to
be spending anxious hours trying to
plan some scheme for interesting the
thousands of republican voters who
are already announcing their inten-
ton to keep out of the campaign alto
gether.
It is said that the administration
expects the sugar trust alone to con-
tribute something like $1,ooO,0oO, the
Standard Oil 50 100000 and the steel
and iron combine another So. 900, 900.
The trusts seem not to be in a thank
full or generous mood toward the
party which protects them from ad-
verse legislation and even disgraces
itself trying to give them extra adj
vantages.
The representatives of the sugar
trust are complaining that it has
been losing money ana should be let
off easy when it comes to a campaign
contribution. 1t is admitted on all
hands that the Standard Oil ought to
do something handsome when it con-
siders that it is responsible for Sec
rotary Gage being in bad odor on ac-
count of his transactions with the
Standard Oil bank in New York, and
the same trust is credited with hav-
ing brought about the trouble with
the Idaho miners.
It is common report that Carnegie
refused to contribute a dollar and
said his interests did not need repub.
lican protection or assistance. It is
Hanna's hand was visible in the dis.
closures which Frick made of the
enormous profits of the Carnegie com.
pany.
At any rate the republican man,
ayers have made up their minds to
get congress off their hands as quick
" as possible and then go to work
in good earnest to gather up fund
which will dazzle the people into for
getfulness of the republican record
in favor of Imperialism and against
the constitution. In favor of the
trusts and against the people. The
republican managers say openly that
democratic success is certain in the
coming campaign unless a different
face can be put upon matters. Their
hope of explaining things may be
quite as delusive as their belief that
the people would not see through
their Porto Rican tariff scheme
The administration is said to be
heartily sick of the Philippines and
to be begging for advice as to how
get rid of them in some way that will
not prejudice its chances for reelec-
ton.
It has difficult problem. The
Filipinos are no more conquered than
they were the day Dewey sailed into
Manila bay. President Schurman, of
the former peace commission to the
Philippines. openly regrets that the
administration has allowed the con-
sideration of tariff bill for Porto
Rico. He says it will give color to
the suspicion that the Filipinos en-
tertain-namely, that we are no bet
ter or more just or generous than
Spain.
The Porto Ricans feel that for
certainty. 1t will take a long time
to regain their confidence. Their
representatives here who are watch.
ing the action Of congress have said
over and over again that Porto Rico
can raise all the money she needs by
direct taxation if she is only permit
tec. proper status as portion of the
United States
Military occupation, at the discre-
ton of the president, is now the only
programme upon which the republic
ans can agree. The republican rank
and file regard this as the rankest