The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-03
BACK At WASHBURN
FIR. RRYAN PAYS HIS CoMPLI-
MENTs TO THE EN-
SENATOR
CHARGES TRUSTS TO TARIFF
Mr. Washburn Has but One Eye
Cpen-When Both Are Open He
Will See Who Is Behiad
the Trusts.
Special TO The Globe.

LINCOLN, Neb., Nov. at is a long
road that has no turns, is demonstrated
by an article in this weeks Commoner,
wherein Mr.. Bryan evens up old scores
with Senator W. D. Washburn of Min
neapolls The article was called forth by
a recent interview given out by Mr..
Washburn on the trusts. Says the Com
moner
when Mr.. Bryan spoke at Minneapolis,
during the campaign of 1896. former Sen
ator Washburn addressed letter to him
asking certain questions. It was an ul4-
Usual thing for a man of Mr.. Washburn'S
prominence to inject himself into pubic
speech, but Mr.. Bryan read his letter at
the meeting and responded to it. 1t
seems that Mr. Washburn is getting
quainted with the trust question In
recent interview he discusses the subject
with. intelligence and even yehemence. 1T
is gratifying to note some evidence or re-
volt among the Republicans, who are re-
sponsible for an administrative poilcy
that permits the trusts TO thrive and fat
ten upon people at large. The Commoner
is glad to give circulation to the follow
ing extract from Mr.. Washburn's inter
view s
- Steel rails can be manufactured TO-
DAY at g. fair profit and sold at $ll.50 g
ton AT that price the rail mills would
make a larger profit on their product
than the Touring mills would make by
profit of 10 cents barrel on tour-Wa1ch
the Touring mills would be glad to make,
but do not. From the best information L
have been able to gather, steel rails can
be manufactured at about SIG per ton.
Sold as they were two and half years
ago at $17.50, there was a Erofit of $1.5e
per ton, which is more than the profit on
-four at 10 cents per barrel, and that is
larger profit than is averaged by the
Touring mills of this country. Yet sucn
rails are now being sold at SIS per toll,
making it easy to understand, With such
enormous profits, how the steel mills are
enabled to pay dividends on shares three
fourtas Of which are composed of water
I do not know just what sum would be
required to rebuild these properties, but
from what | am able to learn l am salts
fed that they can be reproduced at less
than. one-haif the amount for which they
are capitalized. The consequence Is that
the people and consumers of tie country
are being taxed 10 this enormous extent
in order that the trusts and consoilda-
tons may pay such dividends And yet,
with this condition of things, We now
have duty of $3.50 per ton on steel railst
And what | have here said of steel rails
can also be said of structural steel, which
now enters into construction of different
Kinds to such an enormous extent. II
this is not robbery | would like to find
some stronger word to characterize it.
Robbery is y strong word. bit MI:
WaShhurn wants something even strong
en- What will he say of an administra-
ton that permits the robbery to go on
Without making effort to protect the
l4iblic? Possibly MIR. Washburn has only
oile eye open; with this he sees the trusts
very clearly. When he gets the other eye
cpen he will be able to see the Repub--
Iican party standing behind the trusts
and receiving for campaign purposes
pert OF the money extorted from the peo-