Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-16
TARIFF LEAGUPSWORK
Changed Presidents Views on
Revision.
ALWAYS ON ALERT
IT HAS DEFEATED KASsoN'S
TREATIES.
Also the Prime Factcr in Defeat of
the Reciprocity Treaty
With Cuba.
IT HAS DEFEATED
TREATIES.
KASSON'S

tariff revision has Deen Sald TO De due more
than anything else to the result of the eff
forts of the American Protective Tariff
League. 1t is no exaggeration to say that
The most powerful instrument in this coun-
try today for the molding of public senti-
ment is the organization of manufacturers
which bears that name. The American
Protective Tariff League defeated the Gu
ban reciprocity legislation of the first ses-
sion of the Fifty-seventh Congress, emas-
culated the Cuban reciprocity treaty rati-
fed at the last session, and will attempt at
the next session to further negative that
treaty.
The American Protective Tariff League
has thus far prevented the ratification of
the reciprocity treaties negotiated by Mr..
Kasson. has combatted the Iowa idea"
so successfully that President Roosevelt,
who started out with a declaration that he
would stand pat' on the Mckinley policies,
which included reciprocity has now con-
cluded to stand pat with the high tariff
action of his party.
Has 1000 Members.
The American Protective Tariff League
has membership of 1000, including some
of the most prominent manufacturers of
iron, steel, cotton goods, woolen goods, cut
lery, Yankee notions leather goods, hosiery,
gloves, varnish, silks, etc.
The beet sugar growers of the west, the
cane sugar growers of Louisiana and the
American Tobacco Company are benefici-
aries of the efforts of the league, but are
not members of it nor contributors to it's
funds. The 1000 members pay in years
when important elections are on, a mini
mum annual assessment of $100 each. This
minimum fund of 100000 is swelled by ad-
ditional contributions as the occasion de-
mands. The league is not directly connect
ed with the great trusts. The paper trust
is the only trust closely associated with 1t,
although all of the trustssbenefit through its
efforts. The league is composed mainly of
the smaller manufacturers and Individual
operators, and it is their money and their
efforts that keep it alive. Whenever these
individual manufacturers go into a trust
they invariably cease to contribute to the
league.
Object Of the League.
The object of the American Protective
Tariff League is to create sentiment IN
this country favorable to the maintenance
of the protective tariff and to prevent the
abatement Of existing tariff rates. The
league is the personification of the "stand
pat idea. 1t opposes the crossing of a
It. the dotting of an a." or the changing
OF punctuation point in the existing tariff
law
The league effects it's purposes and ac-
complishes its object of molding public
sentiment by working upon the readers of
the country through a masterful system Of
newspaper syndicates.
At the headquarters cf the league in
this city, was told that the combined cir
culation per week of the newspapers using
the editorials and other matter sent out
by the league was 6,00O,OO0 per week APP
proximately that represents 24,O00OO0 read
ers week, in the opinion of the officials
of the league.
Every Monday morning the league sends
out to the New York Newspaper Union and
the various newspaper unions of Chicago
editorials, news articles and high tariff
arguments, accompanied by appropriate
cartoons. These are distributed to tine
small newspapers of the country in stereo-
typed form. Every third Monday tho
league supplies one Of the great press
syndicates with one page of solid mat
ter all bearing upon the question of high
tariff That press association sells the six
columns to the country newspapers for 81.
The newspapers can use the matter col
umn at time. or as much of 1T as they
please.
The league publishes a weekly journal.
which has circulation of about 14,OO0,
6,0GO of which go to republican newspapers.
The journal is carefully edited and voices
the most intelligent thought on high tariff
questions. 1t is a fact that some or the
most pre- inent republican newspapers in
the country do not hesitate to utilize the
editorial suggestions and the ex parte argu-
ments of this journal.
Persistent in It's Work.
The foregoing will give some idea of the
mammoth system for reaching the readers
of the country which the league has built
up. Day after day, month after month,
year after year, keeping everlastingly at
it, the American Protective Tariff League
has been pounding into the republican read
ers the arguments and theories of the high
protective tariff policy II the sentiment
in one particular section-as IN Iowa, for
instance-seemed to be wavering the efforts
of the league would be concentrated and
directed to that weak point.
An official of the league who discussed
frankly and candidly with mo the objects
and accomplishments OF the organization
made this statement, which Is a trite ex-
PLANTATION of the whole case: 81.
1--WE do not go to sleep between elections.
comes along with an idea to abate the pro-
tective tariff policy Of the country. We
fight that proposition"
I glanced over the list of 6fficers of the
American Protective Tariff sLeague and
their affiliation with industries of the coun-
try. These are the men whogare conduct
ing this gigantic propaganda OF high tariff:
President, Charles A. Moore Of Manning,
Maxwell & Moore, operating several great
works for the manufacture of iron, steel
and railway supplies: first vice president
Augustus G. Paine, president Of the Inter-
national Paper Company; second vice presi-
dent, Joseph b. Thropp. Pennsylvania
iron manufacturer -
The executive committee iss composed of
William Barbour, head of the. great thread
works at Paterson, N. J.: Frank w. Cheney
of the Cheney silk works ins Connecticut:
w. f. Draper, cotton and WOODEN manu-
facturer Of Massachusetts,; Franklin MUIR
ply. owner of immense varnish works IN
New Jersey: David L. Einstein. manufac-
turer of woolen goods and brother of Henry
Einstein. owner Of the New York Press.
the most radical high tariff organ in the
United States
The board of managers consists Of twenty
men, whose names and industries looked