West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1903-01-15

tscco1t IN ndntiOn Would open the
Question OF Protection 40 Trusts
aud Force the covarSs GO nice. the
Drended fssue.
The president. IN his message 20 CON
gross. recommended that the duty on
anthracite coal be abolished. onc or
more bills 90 amend the DlngIey tariff
bin have been introduced In cungrcss
TO that end. but the committee TO which
they have been referred has taken no
action. II Is stated. scmlonicially, that
the Republicans In congress have deter
mined not to report any blll that win
"meddle with the tariff" as even such
nm innocent bill az one 10 remove the
duty on anthracite coal wou,d " re-
ported be open TO amendment AMI thus
start up the whole question cr reform.
Ing the protective tariff
vote upon an Amendment TO such
bill would put all the members OF con
gross on record. and most OF the Re
pnbllcanS do no; care TO be recorded
as being opposed To taking or the duty
on trust products that arc being sold
90 Foreigners cheaper than 10 the
American people. y great many Re.
publican congressman would be be-
tween the devil and the deep sea n
they were compelled to record them.
selves ON this issue Some OF them.
perhaps enough TO carry an amend
ment. might vote with the Democrats
To have number Of Republicans vote
TO place trus. products ON the free list
would be disastrous to that party, az
II would show split on an important
Issue and would perhaps lead TO fur.
ther Generalization.
Thus to save the Republican party
from exposing its inck OF unanlmity
even the recommendation OF President
Roosevelt for tho removal OF the duty
on anthracite coal remains unnoticed
by the party leaders. and this slight re-
lief 10 the people IL denied.
II the president had also Included
bitumlnous coal Ia his recommendation,
his case would have been much stron-
ger. for free soft coal would give great
er relief TO the coal consumers than
free hard coal There hnve been some
importations OF what is called Scotch
and Welsh anthracite coal under the
stress OF the present coal famine. but
ns 1t ranks but little better than the
good qualities OF bItumlnous coal Il IA
not very salahle ut the price which ls
demanded for II. nor would Il be IL the
duty OF 67 cents per ton was not added
20 Its cost. On the other hand, free
bituminous coal would greatly relieve
the distress now prevailing at the sea-
board cities. for the Nova Scotia coal
would compete Mt New York and Bos-
ton. and every ton imported would re-
duce the demand for anthracite by one
half or two-thlrds the relative vnlue
OF the Goals varying somewhat FOR
heating purposes. The importation Of
Nova Scotia coal free OF duty. would
therefore relieve the situation and help
to regulate the price and keep II within
the bounds OF reason. IL would allow
more coal TO be shipped from the mines
to tile western states by reducing the
quantity needed at the seaboard. 1t
would also relieve the railroads OF that
much freight and allow them to hurry
/ forward the much needed coal, which
they now say they are unable to carry
In sufficient quantities to supply half
the demand.
Free coal, both anthracite and btu
minous. is therefore an Immediate ne
cesslty TO every one. and yet congress
delays TO pass this most necessary leg
islatlon For partisan reasons the Re.
publicans have decided that the tariff
issue must not be opened for discus
sion. This may be letting well enough
alone" from the standpoint OF Senator
Hanna. who II mine owner and who
* pliiDg up riches by charging exor-
bitant prices for his coal, but Il Is cruel
and iuhuman to the suffering poor and
II robbery Of those In better cIrcum-
stances
The political necessities OF the Re
publican party are 80 interwoyen with
the trusts. II so relies upon the trusts
for campaign funds, that the leaders
who dominate congress VIII not allow
any bill changing the present tariff law
TO come up for consideration. The
Democrats would have the right to Of
fer amendments to such bin when IL
reached the stage OF committee OF the
whole. and n n bin was reported to
plnce anthracite coal on the free list
the Democrats would propose to In.
clude all coal Amendments would
also be offered 60 put trust products on
the free list. and that Is what the Re
publican leaders fear. Thus the alb
ject misery that comes from lack Of
fuel Is intensified by the grasping par
l.sans who control the congress Of the
United States. The trust mother. the
tariff. must not be touched even TO
hair of her head to prevent the suffer
Ing and loss OF life that are sure to foi.
low n free trade IN coal ls not at once
nrnNllcl Tor