The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-05-07

cludes today nearly or quite eight mill
lions of voters. A large and rapidly
growing percentage of these voters are
resolved that the tariff shall not he
perverted from its proper and laudable
uses to the enormous enrichment of
monopolies. They intend to disturb
it to whatever extent may prove to be
necessary to prevent that abuse Of it.
The washington Post, an independent
paper, reads the riot act to the Re
publicans who are unwilling to make
changes in the tariff. 1t says:
1T is far from certain that the Re
publicans can elect a majority of the
next House of Representatives under
any circumstances. 1t is morally GER
tain that they will be routed in the
effort if they go to the country with
out having enacted antitrust tariff
legislation on the lines proposed by
Representative Babcock, the sagacious
chairman of their Congressional com.
mittee. No man understands the stu
alton better than he does. Three sue
cessive Republican Houses have been
elected under his management. It is
true that in 1896 and 1900 the Presiden-
tial campaigns rendered his work COM
paratively easy. But it was a famous
victory that he won in 1898, for the
chances at the outset were against him.
BY ignoring Organism the Democrats
in the enemy's country were able to
get together and make gains. 1t was
the consummate tact of Chairman
Babcock, his thorough knowledge of
what must be done and how to do it,
that saved the Republicans from defeat
in the midst of President McKinley's
first term.
When, just before the expiration OF
the last Congress, Mr. Babcock brought
out his antitrust legislation scheme,
his action was equivalent TO a formal
announcement to his party that
such legislation must in his
opinion, precede hopeful appeal
TO the voters for a further lease OF
legislative power The arguments he
offers in favor of the repeal of duties
on articles which we manufacture
cheaper than any of our competitors
are absolutely unaswerable. He
knows that if such duties are left un-
touched, the charge that the RepubE-
can party is dominated by the trusts
cannot be successfully met. And he
feels, in view of the record of the last
Congress. in which antitrust legisla-
ton was most carefully avoided, the
charge of Republican servility to the
trusts and combines would be fatal to
his party. All this is inevitably inferred
from Mr.. Babcock's utterances.
And the country is with Mr.. Bah
cock despite the opposition of Chair
man Payne and a. few representatives
of overprotected industries. The Re-
publican press, with few exceptions, is
with him. One of those exceptions is
the New York Sun, paper so daft on
protection that it cannot see that the
industrial and commercial changes, the
almost revolutionary changes Of the
past four years, have created an I'M
perative necessity for tariff legislation.
The Sun, instead of recognizing in Mr..
Babcock's proposition the wise work
of a sincere, consistent friend of pro.
lection, a friend who would keep the
tariff under the control of the party
of protection, attacks the author Of
that scheme. 1t says that so far as
Mr.. Babcock is concerned, not inn
probable fate for him is to receive q
sound party spanking for the irrespon-
sible identification of an issue always
disturbing to the commercial mind, re-
CARELESS of it's disadvantage or ad.
vantage to the Republican party Ill
particular
1T is the Republican party that will
get the spanking if there is anything
of that kind coming. Let the Fifty
seventh Congress neglect Mr.. Babcock'a
warning and the padding will some
straight and strong"