The Savannah morning news., 1902-09-18
SPEAKER HENDEHsoN-s POSITION.

SPEAKER HENDERSON. POSITION
The action Of Speaker Henderson IN
declining denomination for Congress
on the ground that there Is a large ele-
ment in his party in mis- district that
doesn't agree with him that il would be
injurious to the interests of this coun-
try 10 undertake 10 destroy the evils
OF trusts by reducing the tariff. makes
the tariff and trust questions the lead
ing issues in the congressional cam
paign. OF course these questions have
occupied great prominence for a long
time, but the Republicans have been
trying to keep them in the background.
and the President has been criticised
by Republican leaders for saying 50
much about trusts in his speeches dur
ing his tour in New England and in
the South. From now until the cam
paign closes the Republicans viii have
10 give most OF their time to these
questionable questions Of the tariff
and the trusts.
In the West, where the Democrats
expect 10 gain a considerable number
Of Representatives in Congress. there
is a strong and growing sentiment in
favor Of reducing the tariff on all
articles which are the products Of
trusts. The refusal of Speaker Hen
derson to accept a denomination shows
that it is not confined 10 Democrats.
Il is the sentiment of a very large per
centage Of the Republicans. and that Is
49,
ing uneasy respecting the outcome Of
the congressional elections in that sec
ton.
The trusts are largely responsible for
it. They sell their products in foreign
markets at very much less than they
demand for them in the home market,
and the people are becoming tired of
paying more for articles made at their
very doors, as 1t were, than foreigners
have to pay for them-that is, the trust
articles manufactured IN this country.
If it were not for the greed of the
trusts the feeling against them would
not be so strong. There is entire viii
hngness that manufacturers shall have
fair profits, but the people are deter
mined that they viii not permit them
selves to be robbed If they can help
it. And they believe they can help it
that they have the remedy in their
own hands. They believe that if the
protective principle is taken out of the
tariff the trusts will be deprived of the
power of practically robbing them.
Until the Democratic campaign text
book was published it was not gener-
ally known how great the number of
trusts was. In that publication the
number is placed at PSI, with a capt.
talization of s6,s72,44S,9 51 OF this
number it is asserted that at least 1913,
having capitalization of 81, 1886, 1894, OH,
are able to charge exorbitant prices
because of the protection they receive
from the tariff. or the rest of the
trusts ii is estimated that at least
thirty-eight receive more or less bene-
fits from the tariff. Under such a con-
dition of affairs it is not to be wonder
ed at that there is a strong and bitter
feeling against trusts-a feeling that
will certainly show itself at the ballot
boxes this fab.
1t may be that the chief reason that
Influenced Speaker Henderson to de-
cline a denomination was the belief
that the time was close at hand when
the Republican party would be over
whelmed by the antitrust sentiment,
and he did not want to be among the
defeated-at least he did not want to
be part of a minority in the House
of Representatives.