The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-08-19
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION.
POSTAGE PREPAID.
TUESDAY, AUGUST II. 1902.


The chairman of the republican con-
gressal campaign committee is Mr.
Babcock, Of Wisconsin. This Mr.. Bah
ock's chief occupation now is hedging
on the tariff and trust question and
trying to counteract the effect on the
voters Of the northwest Of his former
acts and utterances on this subject.
IL Will be remembered that ne is the
gentleman who, during the last session
o. congress, startled his republican
friends in that body by introducing a
bill providing for the reduction of tariff
duties on certain trust controlled
branches of industry and giving notice
that bills of like character effecting
other articles wool be introduced. He
went further and had a good deal to say
through the press on this subject, al
ways advocating before the public the
reduction of the customs duties on trust
made goods To prove that he is a
mere trickster 1t is only necessary to
state ne voted in committee against a
favorable report on his own bill, while
posing before the people as favOring a
reduction Of this class of imports as
the most effective means of suppressing
the trusts.
Mr.. Babcock at that time was con-
WINGED that the republicans of his sec
ton of the country were in favor of this
democratic doctrine of reduction of the
tariff and suppressing the trusts, and
he wanted to fool them into the belief
that their party favored granting this
much desired and necessary relief to the
overtaXed people; but he has been over
ruled in this matter by the party lead
ers, who SAL it will never do for them
to desert their most powerful support
ers, and has been put to work. explain
ing and "contradicting his former utter
ances.
When posing as an advocate of reduc-
ton of the tariff Mr.. Babcock was en-
thusiastic in advocating the interests of
the people; he said tariff was intended
10 protect the consumer as we'll as the
producer and that a tariff that did not
was all wrong. He used the following
language in one of his speeches, advo-
eating the bill he introduced with
great flourish of trumpets and then be-
hind closed committee room doors voted
against favCrably reporting:
Il maintain that it is a part of the
policy of protection to protect the con-
sumner. We today produce and I'M
,dersell the world. Shall we continue
a tariff upon articles that are in fact
articles of export? If congress main
tains a tariff on such articles, the whole
n - 49, nv
and it simply inureS to the benefit Of
those who may secure the control of
n such commodity, since by it's aid
they can fix exorbitant prices in the do
mestic market. How can such d policy
be defended?"
Mr.. Babcock now takes back and
contradicts all he sal and wrote at
that time. His chief recantation was
through an interview in The Washing
tong Star, a rank republican paper. He
denies the existence of the evils OF
trusts, which he a few months de-
clared existed and which he pretended
to be anxious to cure through the pro-
visions of his bill. He says the export
prices of trust made goods are not
higher than the home prices except
liz 1T '"
get rid of a few small job lots. He de-
MES that trusts and combinations have
anything to do with high prices in this
country.
AS TO Mr.. Babcock's statements the
best evidence of their falsity is the tes-
timony of Messrs. Carnegie and
chwab The former says he can COM
pete with the world in the sale Of steel.
The latter before a congressional COM
mittee testified that the American Steel
Corporation sold steel in England at
$23 Il ton. against SIS per ton to the
home market. AS to his statement
that only odd job lots were sold abroad
at prices lower han the home markets,
the government records SHOW that We
exported to England last year s4S, 900, 300
worth of steel-Pretty good sized JOB
lots they were. Mr.. Babcock is contra
dicted by the steel men themselves who
are supporters of his party, n by the
records OF the government. Which will
the people believe, them or Mr.. Bah
cock?
The truth, is the republicans on this
question of tariff and trusts are between
the devil and the deep sea, and they
do not know which way to turn. They
are afraid to offend the millionaire
trusts by legislating against them, and
they see the people growing more and
more FESTIVE under the heavy burden
OF taxes imposed that these miilinnGires
may amass more millions, and they
are afraid of a serious revolt
A Night OF Terror.
awful anxiety was felt for the wild
P11nnharn of