The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-05-14
HILLS INFLUENCE POWERFUL,

The dominancy of James J.. Hill
over the newspapers printed at St.
Paul is apparently not confined to the
one which is his personal organ and
private property, the Globe. His
wishes and desires seem to be re-
spected as much in some of the
others, as is made manifest in the po-
sition the Dispatch has of late taken
in reference to the tariff. When Hill,
who is a democrat and consequently
nothing else could be expected of
him, came out as opposed to the ex-
listing tariff on some of the many com.
modities, especially steel and iron pro-
ducts, the Dispatch promptly discov-
cred mat the tariff was too high and
should be reduced, giving as a reason
that the steel trust enjoyed too much
leverage under it and for the good
such a move would result in to the
people a reduction ought to be made
as soon as possible. For a tims,4t
contented itself with a mere advo.
cacy of tariff reform as far as the ef-
fects on the steel trust were con
cerned and seemingly attracted quite
a following to itself. Now it goes fur.
Their and advocates the democratic
theory of a tariff in it's entirety. 1t
demands a tariff for revenue only and
absolute free trade in. respect to some
of the raw products.
The Dispatch has not yet gone to
the full extent of demanding taoinao
the full extent demanded of it by reas-
on of it's new alliance on the tariff
question, and consequently is not con-
sistent. 1t should join in the other
demands of those from whom it now
takes its lessons in tariff and demand
removal of all duty on some other
trust products. Why stop at the pro-
ducts of the steel trust and keep silent
on the matter of lumber? If the Dis
patch wants to be considered consis.
tent it should insist that the duty on
iron ore be removed and thus afford
the independent manufacturers of iron
and steel an opportunity to compete
on more eve grounds with the trust.
Is it silent because that is getting too
near home, and does it not want the
tariff on lumber retained because that
is one of the principal products of it's
own state? 1t feels free to demand
removal of tariffs on products of other
states and other sections, but it main
tains a clam-like silence when it comes
to those of Minnesota and the con
tiguous state of Wisconsin. The Dis.
patch manifests a ~selfshness strange.
~ at variance with it's attitude of for
mer years. For the sake of beneftting
an individual of it's own town. or
possibly a few individuals, it is, ;willing
to see the entire structure of a repub-
lican tariff pulled down so that the
owner of steamships may obtain a
cheaper material for their construc-
ton and possibly a larger freight list
Tor those ships and the railroads which
he controls. 1t is only on this theory
that the sudden diversion of the Dis
patch from a 4 tective tariff advo-
cate to an out. id. out democratic ad-
vocate of a taS*f for revenue only can
be explained ut is willing that the
producers of this and other states
shall again be forced to the level OF
competing with those of foreign coun.
tries where the price of labor is SUCH
that the maintenance of even a sem
blance of decency in living is an i'm.
possibility in order that the interests
and benefits n of it's W citizens
shall be advanced.
The Dispatch should be consistent
and not stop half way. Let it cease
all p%retense of being a republican or
gan and come out as it should, in view
of its new light, and announce that it
is a democratic organ of the Cleveland
school, for a tariff for revenue only
and the gold standard. Should the
new influences which are evidently
swaying the Dispatch take a notion to
assume the Bryan attitude on. curren-
cy it is not venturing too much to say
that it might have a revelation some
day and recant on it's position on the
monetary question and come out for
free silver and the other paramount"
issues which the sage of Lincoln is
exploiting.
Thanks to the liberality of Tom