The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-03
BACK AT WASHBURN
DIR. ERYAN PAYS HIS COMPILE
MENTs TO THE EX-
SENATOR
CHARGES TRUSTS TO TARIFF
Mr. washburn Has but One Eye
Cpen-When Both Are Open He
VIII See Who Is Behiad
the Trusts.
special to The Globe.

LINCOLN, Neb. Nov. at is a long
road that has no turns, is demonstrated
by an article in this weeks Commoner,
wherein Mr.. Bryan evens up old scores.
with Senator w. D. Washburn, Of Min
neapolls. The article was called forth by
a recent interview given out by Mr..
Washburn on the trusts. Says the Com
nloner:
when Mr.. Bryan spoke at Minneapolis,
during the campaign of 1896, former Sen
ator WaSi1burn addressed a letter to him
asking certain questions. It was an uI.-
Usual thing for a man of Mr.. WaShbl1rn s
prominence to inject himself into pubic
speech, but Mr.. Bryan read his letter at
the meeting and responded to it. LII
seems that Mr.. Washburn is getting &C
quainted with the trust question. In a
recent interview he discusses the subject
with, intelligence and even vehemence. 1T
is gratifying to note some evidence or re-
volt among the Republicans, who are re-
sponsible for an administrative policy
that permits the trusts to thrive and fat
ten upon people at large. The Commoner
is glad to give circulation to the follow
ing extract from Mr. Washburn's inter-
view. ~
81 Steel rails can be manufactured TO-
DAY at fair profit and SOLD at 80
ton AT that price the rail mills would
make a larger profit on their product
than the Touring mills would make by a
profit of 10 cents barrel on tiour-Wf1ch
the Touring mills would be glad to make,
hut do not From the best information l
have been able to gather, steel rails can
be manufactured at about SIG per ton.
Sold as they were two and half years
ago at $780, there was Profit of $1.5e
per ton, which is more than the profit on
-four at 10 cents per barrel, and that is a
larger profit than is averaged by the
Touring mills of this country. Yet sucn
rails are now being sold at SIS per ton,
making it easy to understand, with such
enormous profits, how the steel mills are
enabled to pay dividends on shares three
fourtlas of which are composed of water.
I do not know just what sum would be
required to rebuild these properties, but
from what / am able to learn am salts
fed that they can be reproduced at less
than. ene-ha1f the amount for which they
are capitalized. The consequence IS that
the people and consumers of the country
are being taxed 10 this enormous extent
III order that the trusts and consoilda-'
tons may pay such dividends. And yet,
with this condition of things, We now
have a duty of SIS per ton on steel raiis!
And what / have here said of steel rails
can also be said of structural steel, which
now enters into construction of different.
Kinds to such an enormous extent. If
this is not robbery / would like to find
some stronger word to characterize It, :
Robbery is p strong word. but Mr.
Washhurn wants something even strong.
er. What will he say of an administra-
ton that permits the robbery to go OF,
Without making effort to protect the
Hublic? Possibly MIR. Washburn has only
ohe eye open; with this he sees the trusts
Gerry clearly. When he gets the other eye
spen ne will be able to see the Repub-s
tican party standing behind the trusts
and receiving for campaign purposes
pert Of the money extorted from the peo-