The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1901-03-08
Republican Bellwether to
the Rescue.
BABCOCK LEADS TRUST WAR
Enters Into the Vineyard at the
Eleventh Hour.
WOULD PUT STEEL ON FREE LIST.

Remarkable Change of Opinion Since
Last Summer-Tardy Reformer,s
Sincerity In Doubt
Have Long Advocated Plan He Pro-
Doses-Babcock Was Mute When He
Night Have Done Good-Gage Pre-
cipitntes u Tariff war-A Sample Of
Republican Logic-A Billion a Year.
Especial Washington Letter.
Babcock to the rescue-Hon. Joseph
Weeks Babcock of Necedah, Wis, Re-
publican bellwether, chairman Of the
house committee on the District of Co.
lumbia and chairman Of the Republic
an congressional campaign committed!
The Hon. Joseph has just opened up a
War-a redhot war-on trusts by intro
ducing bill to put certain articles Of
steel and iron on the free list in order
to "circumwent" the steel trust, as the
elder Weller would have put it. Broth
er Babcock is rather late. He is an
eleventh hour conner into the vineyard.
But better late than never. Still one
may not be considered guilty Of leze
majesty if it be inquired how putting
articles on the free list in February
happens to be patriotic performance
when it was denounced as idiocy and
treason last summer and before that.
do not say absolutely that origi-
mated the idea of free listing articles
as means Of breaking down the trusts,
but do say that as early as May, 1899,
at the great antitrust banquet held in
st. Louis | did propose two remedies
for the trusts one of which was "to
place every article made. used. handled
and sold by trust absolutely on the
free list" l repeated the same idea in
an article on trusts in the magazine
Success in June, 1900. For that speech
and that article was denounced as an
idiot and traitor by all the protection
organs which noticed them at ALL Now
comes Mr.. Babcock and poses as a pio-
neer reformer by proposing a fragment
Of that plan, combining his reform to
certain articles of steel and iron. 1
am not complaining. 1 am rejoicing,
or, rather, I would rejoice if the cir
cumstances warranted the conclusion
that Mr.. Babcock means business in
his small crusade. But will he please
inform an eager and startled world
how he happened to postpone his rene
dial legislation to such late date that
he must know it has no sort Of chance
to become law? His explanation, if
full, categorical and complete, would
make what Horace Greeley called
"mighty rich reading"
Another question: When in January,
1900, undertook to strange giant
trust by introducing bill ito place
wood pulp, white print paper and all
the ingredients used in making the
same" on the free list, why did not
Brother Babcock come to my aid and
assistance?
When Babcock Was Silent.
Still another query: When Hon. James
d. Richardson, Democratic leader Of
the house, offered a batch of similar
bills, including the very items named
by Babcock, why was the latter silent
as the voiceless grave?
These things happened at the long
session, when we had plenty of time,
or, as ''Uncle Joe" Cannon would say,
''time to throw at the BIRDS" Every
Democrat, Populist and free silverite
was for my bill and for Richardson's
bills. 1t only required seven Republic
ans voting with US to carry them. If
Mr.. Babcock had the same opinion
then that he trumpets forth now, when
he knows beyond peradventure that
his bill will sleep in committee till this
congress dies on the 18th of March, il
he has not seen brand new light, as
did Saul Of Tarsus on celebrated
Journey from Jerusalem down to Da-
mascus, why did he not come to our
rescue then, when it would have avail
ed something? He is not seven Re-
publicans, it is true, but he is one, and
q big one at that. He could probably
have found six other righteous men in
the Republican Sodom. But Brother
Bah held his peace.
A Plan SuEsested.
II he means business and is not mere
" poseur, here is a plan which will
work like charm:
He is member Of the committee on
ways and means, having his bill in
charge. Every Democrat on that COM
mittee will cheerfully vote to report
his bill fayorably. 1t only requires two
Republican votes In that committee to
secure favorable report, a consumma-
lion deyoutly to be wished. II Mr..
Babcock cannot get his own vote and
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