Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1902-07-24
WASHINGTON LETTER.
From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON. July 21. 1902.

From our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, July 81, 1902.
A striking evidence of the close affilia-
ton of those persons who are the benefci-
aries Of the tariff, and their determination
to conceal from the public information to
which it is entitled, is furnished by the
lack Of success which has attended the
efforts of Judge Griggs to secure a copy Of
the Especial Discount Sheet" issued by
American exporters. While it is a well
known fact that American manufacturers,
in numerous instances, avail themselves of
special privileges conferred on them by the
tariff to mulct American consumers, MAX
ing them pay nearly double what is paid
by foreigners for the same articles. Judge
Griggs believed that the authoritative
statement of the Especial Discount Sheet"
would bring the facts home to American
voters as would nothing else. He, there
fore commissioned an employ of the Demo-
cratic Committee to obtain one. Every
effort to do so failed, and a reward of 500
was offered for a copy, but so far without
avail. 1t is also notable that a number Of
the leading newspapers of New York City
refused to insert the advertisement which
the Judge desired to place in their columns
at their regular advertising rates, stating
that they could not afford to antagonize a
class of men who were extensive adver-
tisers. This ground for refusal explains
the numerous misleading editorials which
appear in these same papers and the fire.
quent perversion of facts which they in
dulge.
While the Committee has been unable to
secure copy of this particular sheet, it has
procured copy of the export price-list,
and, although the discount sheet would
show a far greater difference in prices, some
of those contained in this list are interest
ing. Wire nails, for instance, which sell
in this country for 50. 25 per keg, are sold
to foreigners for $1.30 per keg. Barbed
wire, which sells here for So per hundred
pounds, sells abroad for 81 20 per hundred,
Shovels, which sell here for $3.50 per
dozen, sell there for S. so per dozen Fruit
jars are listed for sale abroad for 25 cents
less per dozen than the same article here,
washboard for 81. 80 per dozen less, type
writers for $45 each less than here, for the
same machine, tin plate for 81 per hundred
pounds less, and so on. And it is known
that discounts are allowed, even from the
prices here quoted. Judge Griggs regards
it as inconceivable that American consum-
ers will be willing to continue paying these
higher prices for the benefit of the foreign
consumers once they realize the facts. 81
am satisfied tnat the Americans are paying
forty per cent. more for American made
goods than are the foreigners" said the
Judge yesterday, land l do not believe
that they will be willing to continue so
doing"
While the Republicans are trucking to
the trusts, an announcement has come from
abroad which has startled them like the
handwriting on the wall. 1t is to the effect
that the Gar has requested conference of
the powers to take steps to eliminate the
trusts from their position as a controlling
factor in the prices of commodities. While
the administration officials state that they
do not believe that the European nations
can accomplish anything in this direction,
they admit that if as has been suggested,
the real purpose of the proposed conference
is to institute tariff war against this
country, the result must prove disastrous
to American commerce and industries. The
prediction of ex-Secretary of the Treasury
Gage, who was pronounced free trader
until he was tempted by an offer of
Cabinet position, that sooner or later a
tariff war against the United States would
be instituted, is recalled and adds weight to
III suggestion alreaey made, concerning the
intentions of the Gar. 1t is we'll appre-
ciated that any check to the commercial
prosperity which the United States is now
enjoying will result in the defeat of the
Republican party in 1904, and it is not
anticipated that Mr. Roosevelts anti-elec-
ton threats against the trusts will at all
mislead the Gar and his fellow sovereigns,
whatever effect they may have on the
American voters; therefore, the rumor of
tariff war strikers terror to the hearts of
Republican leaders, and Republican office
holders in Washington.
The greatest interest is manifested by
labor leaders and others in the prospective
building of battle ship in the New York
navy yard. Despite the opposition OF
Senator Hanna and other stock holders in
the ship building trust, the Democrats in
Congress secured a provision in the Naval
Appropriation bill that at least one battle
ship should be built by the Government
1t has long been claimed by the labor lead
ers that such ship could be built at less
cost than if constructed by private parties,
and they will watch with jealous eye the
progress of the experiment. Against this
claim have been advanced the facts that
laborers in the government yards work two
hours less per day, and that they receive an
annual leave of twenty-three days with
pay, but those who favor government con-
struction, maintain that these facts will be
more than offset by the profits made by
private contractors. Now that the expert
ment is to be made, it becomes the duty OF
the advocates of the system to closely watch
the proceedings with view to preventing
fraud in the purchase of materials and in
the charges made for labor on this particu-
lar vessel.
The Republicans are taking great credit
to themselves because of the Presidents
decision in the case of General Jacob H.
Smith, whom Mr. Roosevelt has orded to be
Immediately retired. In so doing, how
ever, they seem to lose sight of the fact
had it not been for the publicity given to
the facts connected with the Waller massa-
ere and the Smith orders, by the Demo-
cratic members of the Senate, General
Smith would never have been court
martialed, nor would the attention of the
President ever have been called to his con-
duct In reality, the action of the Presi-
dent is a vindication of those Democrats
whom the Republicans have been charging
with maligning the army. If the exposure
of such conduct as that of which General
Smith and Major Waller were guilty, con-
stitutes an attack on the army, then the
Democrats were guilty of such an attack,
but if, as the President maintains, their
conduct was Hdiigrace to the army" then
the Democrats who endeavored to secure
their removal were the real friends of the
army, rather than those Republicans who
i