Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-10-27

for a first chance, acting more like
hungry wolves than human beings, in
land of plenty waiting till the food
is ready for distribution. Such
scene may be seen every day between
Ii and 2 O'Clock around the corner Of
Orange and Chatham streets, where
charity gives a dinner to the poor, and
soup and bread to others to carry to
their miserable families
He then cites several other places
in the same ward where over 5000
were fed by charity every day, and
says the same thing was going on all
over the city. am surprised that
some one does not quote divorced sen.
fences from Horace Greeley to show
that in his last years he favored
gradual reduction in the tariff until
the entire robbery imposed by protec-
ton should be wiped out. 1t is need.
less to say that under those condi.
tons living expent es were cheap
Price Of Steel Rails.
"The distinguished jurIst candidate
seems much exercised over the price
of steel rails. but admits that railroad
companies do not object. He accounts
for this by an insinuation that the Of
flcers Of the railroad companies are
producers of steel rails. Why does
he not invite some railroad president
known not to be interested in the pro-
ductton OF iron and steel to visit him
and submit few searching questions.
sought an interview with such a rail-
road president not long ago, and he
said that he was satisfied with the
M Yrf4 80 ras liz 4 = ~ onN
how cheap they were sold abroad. He
said the only fear he had was that
pending doubtful presidential cleo
ton the steel plants would have to
close down. This was some months
ago. have not seen him since all
possible doubt as to the result of the
election has been removed.
But have different theory than
Judge Parker expresses. / assume
that the railroad presidents have
thought this question clear through,
and are willing to pay reasonable
profit on steel rails on condition that
the steel producers shall continue to
take iron and coal from their mines,
and shall continue to pay their men,
thus furnishing the roads no end Of
transportation. I assume that the
roads would prefer to pay yet an in
creased price for rails and allow the
companies to dump their surplus
abroad at yet reduced rates, rather
than have million men turned out of
employment. which would mean re-
ceiverships for large number of the
roads. In other words, assume that
the railroad presidents are good bust
ness men and there is not so much
difference between business men and
statesmen as there is between poll
ticians and statesmen.
Later in his speech the distin-
guished jurist candidate states what
he conceives to be universal prin-
ciple. and employs this language:
"A duty which does not raise the
price of the article to the consumer
fails of its object and is therefore
needless for purposes of protection
Ignorance Somewhere.
Either Judge Parker knows moth
ing about the principle of protection,
or | know nothing about it. On the
same day this speech was made had
a long interview with man interested
in a number of canning factories, and
who therefore consumes large guam
titles of tin plate in the manufacture
of cans to hold his product. He cited
the effect of protection on the tin in
dustry. and said it had resulted in
cheaper tin. He said that he could
now buy American tin cheaper than
foreign tin, regardless of the duty, but
he recognized and on his own motion
suggested that if the duty were re-
moved the foreign manufacturers
would dump tin in this country until
our factories were closed and then ad-
vance the price to the point where it
was before that industry was pro-
tected.
81 was recently through the pot
teries at Trenton. l saw sanitary
pottery. bath tubs and the like. by
the train load. The duty on this class
of goods is So per cent. was shown
particular bath tub, the price of
which when they came from abroad
under the low rate of the Wilson Cor.
man bill was $3.50 and they are now
sold at the pottery for $40. One of
the manufacturers said that they
could produce much better bath
tub in this country than in
Europe and could undersell Europe
Competition In the pottery business is
intense, and prices are believed to be
reasonable. asked this producer, who
happened to be democrat (but pro.
tectionist as respects his own indus.
try, what effect the removal of the
tariff on pottery would have. He said