Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1901-05-16
CHAMP G[ARE'S LETTER
Mr.. Babcock Is Learning
a Few Things.
NO PLACE FOR REF0RMERS.
Trust Ridden Republican Party
Has No Use For Them.

Trust Ridden Republican Party
Has No Use For Them.
ROD BEING PIOKLED FOR aBAB."
Assertion Made That He VIII Be
Forced to Resign as Chairman of
the Republican Congressional Com
mittee and Also Lose His Place on
the Ways and Means Committee.
Washington Post Sees Breakers
Ahead-Tom Johnson's Fight In
CIeveIand-The Presidents Warn
ing-Harvard's Nonsense.
Especial Washington letter.
My good friend from Wisconsin, Mr..
Babcock, is rapidly learning that of
which I forewarned him-that a re-
former has no business in the Repub-
lican party. 1t is not his natural hab-
itat. There are two important things
which Republicans are constitutionally
incapable of doing-to economize and
to reform. The leopard cannot change
his spots nor the Ethiopian his skin.
Babcock is seeking the unattainable-
SO long as he remains in the Republican
party. If he is in earnest about cut
ting down the tariff, he had best re-
nounce his allegiance to the tariff rid
den, trust ridden old Republican party
and join the Democratic party. There
is the proper place for him and all 9th
ers who want to relieve the people of
their burdens.
To show that 1 am right about this
it is only necessary to state that the
Republican magnates are talking of
Furnishing "Bab" for his presumption.
They do not propose that anybody
Shall poach upon their preserves. They
will give "Bab" such bitter dose that
he will serve as a sad example to all
Republican statesmen of this genera
tion who aspire to the title of reformer.
"Bab" to Be Disciplined.
The st. Louis Globe-Democrat is one
of the ablest newspapers in the land.
1t is thick and thin Republican jour
nal-an organ grinder of the most viru-
lent type. 1t indorses enthusiastically
all that the Republicans do. In q
carefully worded Washington dis
patch it says:
within the past few days there has
n xf ho
gramme outlined by Congressman Bah
cock for revision of the tariff. Confer
ences with those of influence with the
administration and among the leaders
of the Republican party have been
held, and preparations have been made
to end the ambitious project of Mr..
Babcock. 1t is asserted that Mr.. Bah
cock will be forced to resign as chair
man of the Republican congressional
committee and may be forced to give
up his place in the ways and means
committee unless he decides to aban-
don his idea of revising the tariff and
reducing or abolishing the duty on
products of the steel trust.
"There is belief that Representative
Babcock attempted coup d'etat which
failed of its purpose. He introduced
his measure a few days before the
close of the last session of congress,
with an apparent intention of Great
ing something of a sensation. He
comes from n district which is admit
tedly Republican stronghold and by
his long term of service in the house
of representative has reached posi-
tion of prominence and influence. His
| management of the affairs of the Re-
publican congressional committee dur
| ing the last campaign and bis promi-
nence in house committees to which he
| has been assigned led him to the be-
| lief that radical departure from ex-
listing tariff regulation would be re.
ceived throughout the country as a
sort Of political bombshell. In this he
was disappointed. Brief reference
was made to the measure which he ir-
! troduced, but it was not taken serious
ly by the Republican press of the coun-
| try, which seems to view it in much
the same light as other request bills
which are introduced in the closing
hours of the session.
No Tariff Changes.
"The determination of the Republic
an managers not to permit a revision
of the tariff during the next session OF
congress is freely expressed here at
Washington. The party is unreserved-
ly the champion of the protective sys-
tenn, and its present managers do not
propose to go before the people on any
theoretical idea of revision. The same
managers will make it equally appar-
ent that the party does not champion
the trusts or big commercial combna-
tions, and it does not propose to allow
the two things to become involved In
the pet issue. 1t has even been sug-
| gested that this attitude means posi-.
lively that there viii be no tariff revi
sion during the present administration
No man in public life today is better in
formed on such questions than Presi
dent Mckinley; no man in public life
is in closer touch with the commercial
conditions existing here and abroad
and the president has decided against
tariff changes in the next congress
while the managers of the party cal
see very strong reasons why. if there
is to be a change in the tariff sched
ules, It Should come early in the ad
ministration. If tariff change wa!
seriously considered, it would be the
wish to have it in full operation before
the next presidential election. Th'
majority in congress will not attemp
tariff changes unless the necessity fC
It is much more apparent than at pre-:
ent.
IF Mr.. Babcock continues his preser
attitude as tariff reformer and
forced to resign from his position Q
chairman of the congressional con
mittee, he can still make a fight for hi
theories inside the ranks of the way
and means committee, but in doing S
he will appear solely as an indiyidua
and not as a party leader, such as h
has been recognized in the past. He
now abroad, and it is known he expect
to make study of foreign commercia
conditions and hopes to bring bac
with him some figures to show that th
products of the trusts are sold cheape
abroad than in this country He wi