The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-10-24
TARIFF ON PRODUCTS
 OF THE GREAT TRUSTS
Statements Of Roosevelt and Moody as to Standard
 Oil and Anthracite Shown to Be Not in > Accord With the Facts.

varying from $1.75 per ton, under the law passed in 1S42, to 40 cents per ton under that of 1866 The latter rate continued in effect until the passage of the act of December 22, 1870. Under the terms of this act anthracite, which had formerly been classified as 'coal not otherwise provided for," was specifically named as one of the articles on the free list.
 Prior to the passage of the revenue tar if act of 1S46 the rate on bituminous coal was $l75 cents per ton. By the terms of that act it was changed to 30 per cent ad valorem, which was further reduced to 24 per cent by the act of 1856. The act passed March 2, 1861, required duty Of Sl per ton on bituminous coal, while on coal not otherwise provided for duty of 5O cents per ton was imposed. In lS63 another tariff act was passed, the purpose of which was to raise additional revenue to meet the largely increased expenses of administering the government, brought on by the civil war. This act increased the rate on bituminous coal to $l.1O per ton while 60 cents was the rate named for all other coal. Another act of like na- ture went on the statute books in 1866. as a result of which the rate on bitu- mnous was raised to $l25 while reduc- ton of 20 cents per ton was made on coal not otherwise provided for, leaving the duty on the latter product at 70 cents per ton. This 40 cent rate continued in force until the act of December 22 1870, placed anthracite on the free list without mak- ing any change in the rate on bitumin- ous. Two years later the rate on bitu- minous was reduced to 75 cents per ton and remained at that level until reduced to 40 cents by the Wilson act. passed in 1894. The language and specifications of all the bills prior to the Dingley bill was practically the same, but the latter was worded so as to provide that bituminous coal and all other coal containing less than 92 per cent of fixed carbon should be subject to a duty of 67 cents per ton. Ac- cording to fuel experts Welsh anthracite seldom contains as much as 90 per cent of fixed carbon, and in line with treas- ury decision made in 1898 Is subject to the duty of 67 cents per ton.
 As a result of the change of phraseol- ogy referred to the free list was revised so as to make the coal paragraph read: Coal, anthracite not specially provided for in this act"
 These changes were debated at consid erable length in the Senate. as the Con- grcssional Record shows. Senator Vest pointed out the inevitable result of the coal schedule, but his protests were un- availing However, he went on record in the matter and thereby made it possible for those interested to at this late date disprove the allegation of Secretary Moody that the duty on coal was "smug- gled into the tariff act in a cowardly and sneaking manner"
 Secretary Moody has not attempted to defend himself against the many criti- cisms of his rash declaration. He prob ably realizes that no explanation he could make would serve to justify his state ment in the minds of the people he att tempted to deceive, and therefore prefers to remain quiet. All of which. as I said before tends to demonstrate that he Is not above attempting to influence votes by making assertions which he knew. or should have known, had no basis in fact. He was attempting to absolve the Repub- lican party of all responsibility for the coal strike. of course just as was the President when he said that the coal trust and the oil trust were not protected by | the Republican-made tariff. It Is hardly possible that the people will allow them selves to be deceived by such cheap po- ltical tricks as these.