Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-06-13
HE IS OUR REAL RULER
Rockefeller Pulls the String, and
We Must Dance.
PROTECTION FOR THE TRUsTs.I

Reciprocity Hidden With other
Skeletons In the Republican Clos
et-NO Reduction of the Tariff Tax
Which Feeds the Trusts and Mo-
nOpOIies.
The real master and dictator of the,
Republican party is not Hanna or
Roosevelt, but Rockefeller, the trust;
magnate. He rules by deputy, and his
agent of legate is Senator Aldrich Of
Rhode Island. Rockefeller and Aldrich
are bound together by business ties,
and the son of one has married the
daughter of the other Rockefeller is a
wise and prudent man. He does mott
appear to be interested in politics, pre-
ferring to keep in the background andi
pull the strings that make the Repub-
lican puppets dance to the trust tune.i
But Rockefeller is vastly interested in
the tariff and Wall street, and through
Aldrich, who is chairman of the finance
committee of the senate, he is able to
manipulate legislation for his selfish
advantage.
Aldrich is a tariff expert and the
senate, and that means in the United
States. Rockefeller and Standard OIL
gave him his start in life, and he is
faithful to their interests. For them
he has defeated reciprocity, the hand
maid of protection, as one enthusiast
called it, but really an illusion and fan
tasy which attempts the impossible
namely, to control the home market
and the trade of the world at one and
the same time. Rockefeller and Aid
rich were too wise to attempt that
They know that reciprocity is the open
ing wedge that would break down the
protection wall and would if driven too
far irretrievably injure some of their
pet industries. So reciprocity was put
out of sight in the senate closet that.
contains the many skeletons of Repub-
lican promises. The only protest made
was by Senator DOlliver. who was hon
est in his Iowa ideas, but the effort ap-
pears to have exhausted him, for he
has been silent as Il clam since then
Even the jealous and ardent president
has subsidized and, like a sheep in the
hands of the shearers, is dumb on this
subject, though his mouth is open
enough on others that will not inter
fere with his political ambition. Rookie.
Teller is the keeper of the Republican
conscience as he is the almoner to those.
partisans and teachers of the doctrine
Of protection who would starve to
death without his aid. He has issued
his edict, and Aldrich will see that it is.
carried out; that the tariff is sacred
and must not be disturbed. 1t is the
~ -
feeds the industries which. though they
have long ago attained their majority.
are still out of courtesy styled infants.
The tariff being settled as far as the
next congress is concerned, Rockefeller
has his henchman. Aldrich, at work
preparing a bill which will draw more.
millions from the treasury and prop up
the lettering financial system that the
Republican party is sponsor for and
that is breaking down Of its own
weight. 1t is stated that President
Roosevelt has promised to call congress
in extraordinary session early in the
fall as his contribution to the remark
able programme.
Blaine and Mckinley, astute politi-
clans that they were, advised and'
urged reciprocity as a means to over
come the protection incubus on trade
Their strong personalities might have
brought it about for a season, but the
scepter has fallen into weaker hands,
and the protected trusts are omnipo-
tent. The only exception is the long
held up Cuban reciprocity, and as the
sugar trust would gain under that ar
rangement 1t may be conceded. Au-
dacity is a characteristic of Republican
politicians, and could any political pro
gramme be more audacious than to con-
tinue TO protect the trusts, the few at
the expense of the many?