Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-09-30
For Congress, 4th Cong. District.
A. L. SORTER,
of Cerro Gordo County.
MIR. Rooseveltis in Error!

Mr.. Roosevelt is in Errorl
When President Roosevelt refers to
the anthracite coal trust as an illstra-
ton of trust that is not protected
by the Republican tariff of ll8e7, he
states what theoretically is supposed
to be the fact but which in reality is
not true.
Anthracite coal is supposed to be on
the free list, but in the Dingley tariff
it in fact is tariff taxed.
Hard coal was placed on the free list
many years ago, and under tariff laws
prior to the Dingley creation was &C
tually on the free list. But in 1897,
while the Dingley bill was before con-
gress, the anthracite coal combine had
its friends in court, and secured a
tinkering of the tariff schedule which
practically makes coal a well-protect-
ed article.
The coal combine was aware that
the only foreign competition to which
it was subject was that of the Welsh
coal mines. But this Welsh anthra-
cite happened to have a fraction less
percentage of carbon than the Penn
sylvania anthracite; and that is where
the tariff tinkerers got in their work.
The Welsh coal has 80 per cent of car
bon; and the Dingley tariff was made
to admit free of duty only that grade
that would analyze 90 per cent or
more carbonl
Consequently, when cargoes of Welsh
anthracite, week or so ego, came to
New York to take advantage of the
supposed Dingley free list and supply
the anthracite shortage created by
the coal strike, they were confronted
by the 81 per cent carbon provision,
and were held up for the protective
tariff tax.
Therefore, it is incorrect to say that
anthracite coal is on the free list, for
the only anthracite that completes
with us has been studiously legislated
against in the interest of the Penn
sylvania coal combination, and pays
the protective duty.
President Roosevelt may be inter-
ested to learn, therefore, that the Re-
publican tariff, which he says mus
not be revised, is protecting the coal
trust in its oppression Of labor and
fleeing Of consumers.
The Republican tariff protects the
coal trust in its refusal to give its en-
ployes 10 per cent increase in pay,
when there has been a 40 per cent in.
crease in their cost of living.
The Republican tariff protects the
coal trust in an increase of 30 per cent
in the price of coal to consumers and
in its refusal to share the extra re-
turns with the labor which produces
the coal; and President Roosevelt says
that this tariff shall not be revised.
The Republican tariff wall shuts out
the Welsh coal that would come to the
rescue of the American people from
coal trust extortion, and President
Roosevelt says that this tariff wal
Shall be retained unimpaired.
There are l6S trusts, with a tota
capitalization of over $4,000 900
which enjoy the full protection OF ;
Republican tariff, and in all 2O6, witt
capitalization of 1871 1000, 900, which
enjoy more or less tariff protection-7s
per cent of the whole. President
Roosevelt thought he was citing one
OF the % per cent that do not depend
upon the tariff for their extortions
when he named the coal combine
But his illustration is not good. He
has named one of the worst of those
offenders whom the people Of the
United States are determined shall be
deprived of tariff subsidy-the ma
Gonal administration notwithstand
ing.-St Paul Globe.