Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1902-12-05
THE CAUSE OF BUNCO
REPUBLICANS HAVE WON IN IT,
As USUAL.
Voters Who Believe That the Domi'
nant Party viii Amend the Tariff
or Control the Trusts Are Going to
BE Badly Fooled.

A majority of the voters in . large
number of Congressional districts In
the Western states have been buncoed
into believing that the members OF
Congress they have elected will vote
to amend the tariff law and control
the trusts. The candidates promised
that If q Republican majority was
elected the tariff and trust issue
would be settled by those who are the
friends of protection and there would
be no disturbance of business. Some
of these Republicans who have been
elected to Congress on the faith In
their promises, were no doubt, sincere
and will strive to carry them out, but
that they viii accomplish any such
results is out OF, the question. Those
candidates who have been reelected
to Congress and have had experience
in the workings of the ruthless ma
chine must have known that any such
promises were worthless and were
only given to once more fool their
constituents into re-electing them.
That this is fair statement of facts
is certain when 1t is considered that
Congress is run by a majority of the
dominant party and that individual
congressman have no opportunity
given them to even have their ideas
considered unless the party managers
think such are desirable.
When the next Congress meets in
December, 1908, the caucus Of the Re-
publican members will decide who Is
to be speaker; he will appoint the
committees and il the majority shall
decide that the tariff is not to be re,
formed the Speaker will carry out
thek wishes. He will appoint COM
mittee on Ways and Means, to whom
any tariff bill must be referred, who
will all be reliable protectionists and
who believe that nearly all the trusts
are good trusts and should be aided
rather than hindered in their career
of piling up profits at the expense OF
the people. The Republican Con-
gressman who believes in tariff re-
form, to any extent, will be helpless.
He may introduce a bill, like Mr..
Babcock did in the beginning of the
present Congress, to reform the iron
and steel schedule, but it will be bur.
led, like that notable production, In
the grave of tariff reform hOpes-the
Way and Means Committee. If our
new Congressman is insistent to have
his bill considered, which, like Mr.
Babcock, he will probably not be. all
will be serene, he will be favored in
other matters, SO that his constitu
ents may be partially satisfied. II he
demands that his, or some similar bill
he considered and reported so that he
may have an opportunity to record
his vote and thus show his sincerity
to his constituents. he will be cut of
from participations In all the inside
advantages of belonging to the major
ity party and be treated much more
discourteously than the members OF
the Democratic minority. Only in the
almost impossible event Of enough Re
publican members joining with the
Democrats to make a majority and
then voting to order the Committee
on Ways and Means to report bill
to amend the. tariff law. will it be
possible to have yea and nay vote
recorded on such a proposition.
1t will be interesting to watch the
actions of those Republican Congress
men from Iowa. Minnesota and Other
states that have succeeded in delud
ing their farmer constituents into be
lieving that the tariff will be revised
by its friends.
II the people of any Congressional
district want the tariff revised they
must bring pressure to bear on the
Congressman they have elected to
compel him to carry out their wishes
1t will require good deal of back
bone for a Republican Congressman
to stand up and fight for even trust
productions to be placed upon the free
list. F.