Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-10-18
THE LION AND LAMB.
PEACE AND HARMONY PROM
ISED IN EMPIRE STATE.

Representative Babcock Says the People
Want It. Despite the Trusts-Gen. Wade
Hampton will Probably Enter the Senate.
Hrom our regular correspondent
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 1901.
On Sunday evening last Senator
Thomas c. Platt Of New York arrived
in Washington. He dined at the
White House and spent the evening
in earnest consultation with the Pres
ident. On Monday your correspond.
ent called upon him at the Arlington
Hotel and secured an interview. SEN
ator Plat said that perfect harmony
existed between himself and President
Roosevelt i'll regard to New York poll
tics, and that the President was heart
lily in favor Of the election of Mr.. Low
and would lend his influence. in so far
as was proper, to that end. When
asked his opinion as to the ext, mt to
which tariff revision would be gone
into at the next session he protested
that he was too much occupied with
the New York campaign at this time
to have an opinion on the subject.
When his attention was called to the
statement Of Representative Serene
E. Payne, of New York, and chairman
of the House committee on Ways and
Means, Senator Plat remarked very
naively "that tariff revision would
m ana great deal OF work for Mr..
Payne"
AS may be imagined from the fore
going, Senator Plat was not in very
communicative frame of mind, but he
ldom is. He has the reputation OF
being one of the most taciturn OF poll
ticians even when undergoing the
most adroit questioning.
The statement Of Representative
Payne above referred to is in part as
follows: Amy law which goes from
the House to the Senate is open to
the fullest amendment and discussion
of every item in the tariff schedules.
That this would result in great uneasi-
ness in business affairs, loss of conf
dence and secondly large temporary
loss at least TO the people of the cOun.
try cannot be disputed. The tariff
question should not be opened unless
for the most imperative reasons and
only when the benefits would out.
weigh the temporary embarrassments
and loss resulting from it. We are
running along prosperously now with
the present tariff law"
The truth of the matter is that Mr..
Payne is afraid to open the question.
The people of the country and partic-
ularly of the Northwest are demand
ing reduction Of the tariff rates.
This demand is not confined to the
Democrats but is heard on all sides.
The action of Representa- Babcock
in introducing his reduction bill last
year was an evidence Of the growing
spirit. When seen few evenings ago
1T the Raleigh, Mr.. Babcock informed
your correspondent that he was going
to push his bill this session because
the people demanded il. His conslit-
uents want it. Mr.. Babcock is very
much in the same position as was w.
r. Merriam, now Director of the Cen
sus, when he was running for Cover
nor of Minnesota. Mr.. Merriam
was talking tariff reform and the
chairman of the Democratic Republi.
can national committee called him to
task for it. "The people want it," was
Mr.. Merriam's reply, "and unless
talk tariff reform l won't be elected"
He continued to talk i. and he was
elected.
How many Representatives will
come to Washington on the first of
December with the knowledge that
their future political lie is dependent
on their voting for a revision of the
tariff it is impossible to predict, but
there is reason to believe that there
will be enough to insure its being I'M
dertaker. But even if tariff revision
is attempted it will never be accomp-
lished along lines that will satisfy the
people. By its tariff legislation the
Republican party has built up the
trusts and now the trusts control the
party. The tariff revision the people
demand is reduction of those sched-
ules that favor the trusts, and that is
precisely what the trusts will not per.
nit. The party managers appreciate
this fact and will use every endeavor
to divert public attention from the
real issues, but they "can't fool all Of
the people all OF the iime," and the
Democratic leaders whom one meets
in Washington all express themselves
AS confident that the time is not far
off when the Republican ship will
shiver itself on the trust rock.
The withdrawal of Colonel Wylie
Jones, State chairman of the Demo-
cratic party in South Carolina, from
what promised to be bitter Senator
ial contest, in favor OF General Wade
Hampton is regarded here as most