Woodruff County news., 1901-05-09
TRUST PROTECTION.
A Question That Is Going to Give the Republicans . Great
 Deal of Trouble.

Near the close of the last congress the chairman of the republican con gressional committee, J. w. Babcock, introduced bill to abolish the tariff on iron and steel. This was just after the formation of the steel trust was announced. This apparent lapse of MT. Babcock from the dogma of protection caused considerable talk, and he was interviewed by the news papers. In one of these interviews he is reported to have said: "It was to forestall similar action by a democrat" No action was taken by the committee to whom the bill was referred. Mir. Babcock evidently did not expect it, he was merely playing to the gal leries; in fact, his bill did not abolish the duty on iron and steel, it merely pretended to. It provided for the re- peal of the iron schedule, but did not repeal or change section 193, which provides for an ad valorem duty of 45 per cent. on iron and steel not spe- officially provided in the act. The steel trust would doubtless be quite satisfied with this 45 per cent. tariff. Two or three democrats at the first session of the Fifty-sixth congress had introduced bills repeating all du- ties on trust articles, but the com mittee on ways and means never con- sidered them, the republican majority being opposed to such action. MT. Babcock, therefore, did not forestall the democrats, who are pledged by their national platform against trusts and the Dingley tariff, and will certainly introduce a bill to that end when the Fifty-seventh congress as- sembles. This will again try the faith of those republicans who feel that the trusts should be curbed.
 If the steel trust is to be legislated 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 re- pealed, and the whole fabric of pro- lection would be wiped out. This would leave the republican party with ! with the greatest source of it's cam paign funds cut off without coun- tervailing 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 corpora tions, many of them are owned by the iaf t0 them is unlikely and almost impos- | sible.
 But there are other troubles for the protectionists. The state depart ment and the diplomats have become interested in the tariff discussion. The countervailing duties on Russian beet sugar has been met by that country with large increase of duty on American goods, so that door is closing against us. Germany and France are also said to be intending retaliatory measures, and even many of the English politicians are talking the same way.
 Then we have a colonial tariff oues- tion that must be settled and our new
 
 us with sugar and some kinds of to- bacco. Free sugar from Porto Rico and the Philippines would cut off the revenue from that source, wipe out the American sugar plantations, and free tobacco would ruin the protected Connecticut wrapper grower.
 The whole tariff is complicated but frail structure, and, like the chill dren's house of cards, finger or a breath will cause a wreck. When you have local politics, loot and diplomacy all taking hand and inherited faith ir the doctrine they nave taught their rank and file to worship to be- ware of one cannot envy our repub- lican friends the job of tariff revision they must soon enter upon.
 The democratic plan of tariff for revenue will have to be adopted soon- CT or later.