Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-05-15


Two or three Democrats at the first
session Of the Fifty-sixth Congress had
Introduced bills repeating all duties on
trust articles, but the committee on
ways and means never considered them,
the Republican majority being opposed
to such action. Mr.. Babcock, there
fore, did not forestall the Democrats.
who are pledged by their national plat
form against trusts and the Dingley
tariff and will certainly introduce bill
10 that end when the Fifty-seventh Con
gress assemblies. This will again try
the faith Of those Republicans who feel
that the trusts should be curbed.
If the steel trust Is to be leglslated
against why not the sugar trust, the tin
trust and the hundred and one other
trusts and combines. But to do this
would require nearly every schedule Of
the tariff law to be repealed and the
whole fabric Of protection would be
wiped out This would leave the Re-
publican party with but Imperialism as
a living issue and with the greatest
source of its campaign funds cut off
without countervailing fountain to
draw from.
A large majority of the Republican
Senators and Representatives have re-
ceived and are receiving favors from
the trusts, combines and corporations,
many Of them are owned by the trusts
and relief to the people from them is
unlikely and almost impossible.
But there are other troubles for the
protectionists. The State Department
and the diplomats have become inter
ested in the tariff discussion. The
countervailing duties on Russian beet
sugar has been met by that country
with a large increase of duty on Ameri-
can goods, so that door is closing
against us. Germany and France are
also said to be intending retaliatory
measures, and even many of the Eng
llsh politicians are talking the same
way.
Then we have the colonial tariff ques-
tas,ai mkt. rnuss no pad QUE laaw
possessions may soon be supplying us
with sugar and some kinds Of tobacco.
Free sugar from Puerto Rico and the
Philippines would cut off the revenue
from that source, wipe out the Ameri-
can sugar plantations, and free tobacco
would ruin the protected Connecticut
wrapper grower.
The whole tariff is complicated but
frail structure, and, like the children's
house of cards, a finger or breath will
cause wreck. When you have local
politics, loot and diplomacy, all taking a
hand, and Inherited faith in the doctrine
they have taught their rank and file to
worship, to beware of, one c:slnot envy
our Republican friends the job of tariff
revision they must soon enter upon.
The Democratic plan of tariff fol
revenue will have to be adopted sooner
or later.
President Mckinley Congratulated.
The administration, finding it impos.
sible any longer to ignore the repeated
reports of the awful conditions existing
in the Philippines, is at last taking no
tice of the matter.
President Mckinley, we congratulate
you, says the Chicago New Voice, up
on the evidence that our efforts to
arouse you to an appreciation of the
enormities that are perpetrated in your
name in the Philippine Islands are
bearing fruit. According to cable dis
patches from Manila, General MacAr
thur sent to you on Saturday last, pre-
sumably ut your request, report upon
the SALOONS and the social evil'' in the
Philippine Islands. 1t requires no very
considerable conjecture to understand
why such a report was requested a
this time.
Concerning the character of the re
port which your General has rendered
there is no public information at the
time that we write We presume 1t tt
be not at all improbable that, following
the example of the Taft commission
he will begin his report with a dehla
Of the charges which we have made
and conclude it with an admission tina
the charges are correct. Still it is pos
sible that the report may contain moth
ing but the denial. Its character will
perhaps, be largely influenced by thu
character of the request for informa
ton which you have made.
We will frankly admit, Mr.. Presi
dent, that we have very little conf
dence that you will obtain, or can OBJ
tain, accurate reports of the conditions
in Manila, although, US compared witt
us, you have great advantages for get
ting information. Every cablegran
which we have received from Manil,
or sent to that city has cost us $2.41 pc
word. Yours cost you nothing, and w,
help pay for them. But your repre-
sentatiyes at Manila have not deal
fairly with you in the past, and Their,
is reason to believe will not deal fairl!
with you in the future, until they be
come convinced that you really desire
the facts.
Still, Mr.. President, we encourage
you to keep OH asking for reports from
Manila. If your generals and commits
sioners there do not tell you tile truth
we will correct their statements, and
as in the past, give you the real facts
a little tardily, perhaps, but correct
when you get them. If, upon the 9th
er hand, your representatives should
conclude to give you the truth, their re
port will drive you to action; SO that
In any event, sooner or later you mus
and will change the conditions thai
now exist under your government il
the Philippine Islands, and abolish ant
forever forbid the open disregard Of
civilized Christian standards of moral
ity now practiced by your representa-
tives.
Yes. Mr.. Mckinley, we congratulate
VOC The indications are hopeful fol