The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-09-07

issue, for when it is agitated the trusts
at once become alarmed and begin TO
take steps to defeat any bill introduce
ed in Congress providing for the re-
goods They begin by having their
newspapers to call any man a fool who
insists that this is practical propo-
Sition; then they have their neWSpa-
pers to announce that such a law is
not necessary anyway, because, as they
saw, there is no foreign competitions
and then they wind up by declaring
that all such laws are unconstitutional.
But bear n mind, they are doing their
utmost all the while to prevent even
the consideration of any such pill in
Congress.
"Now, 1 have tried it myself. / in
troduced a bill comforting upon the
President the power to reduce or re-
move the duty upon such goods as. af-
ter investigation, were aScertained TO
be manufactured by a trust or cor
poration which was violating toe Sher-
man law I thought that even Re
publicans would be willing to trust
Colonel Roosevelt | am frank to say
that | was. because l believe he Is
honest But, no my bill was never
considered; and l was told by certain
trust organ, published in New York,
that my bill was unnecessary. uncon-
stitutiOnal, and, in effect, that l was a
fool for introducing it. And yet, dur
ing that very same session both
houses of Congress passed Il bill which
conferred upon the President the pow
er to reduce import duty upon goods
brought into this country from Cuba,
believe, rs per cent of the Dingley
rates.
's,snLL 7Ul 20 uI!V
81 notice that they have had great
reciprocity meeting out in Illinois. DO
you know what the trusts expect to ac-
complish from this thing that they
call 'reciprocity?' Their purpose is to
cndeayOr to remove the duty on free
raw material. 1t matters not If the re-
movaI of this duty hurts the farmer
provided il helps the manufactures.
But these poor weak trusts throw up
their hands in holy horror If you talk
about reducing the tariff so as to eX-
pose them to outside competition.
1.-The shoe trust would like very
much to have hides admitted free. 1t
says it is only just and right to let 1t
buy hides where it can get them the
cheapest, whether from the mountains
of North Carolina, Texas, Canada, or
Mexico: but when the North Carolina
or Texas farmer comes to buy his
shoes this righteous trust wants our
laws so framed that all outside COM
petition is cut off. thereby forcing the
farmer to buy shoes at the price fix
ed by the combination. 1t is amazing
to me that intelligent people of this
country will tolerate a continuance OF
these conditions and permit laws to
remain upon our statute books which
allow the trusts to punish Americans
for making these trusts rich beyond
the dream of man.
Retrenchment and Reform.
"There is still another issue upon
which all Democrats might well agree
a demand for rctrenchment and re-
form in every department OF the gov
eminent. There are so many evidences
of graft and rascality that nobody can
predict what a fearless investigation
might disclose. No political party is
as anxious to see it's own rascals and
grafters in the penitentiary as the
other party is, and the people of this
country need expect a proper 1nVeStl-
CATION of the departments until they
put men in power and in charge of the
investigation who are opposed politi-
caIlv to the suspected parties.
Democrats in Congress" continued
Mr.. Pou. should begin on the first
day of the session to fight for re-
ductiOn in the expenses of the govern
ment. Now, just think of this! We
are al peace with all the world Eek
cepting a few bolo-men in the Phil
ippine islands,, and yet leaving out
the $20,000,000 which we paid to
Spain for the Philippines, the eXpen-
ditrres of cur government for the tis-
cal year of 1905 were within $1S,000,-
600 of our entire outlay during the tis-
cal year ending June the list. 1899,
while we were at war with Spain AID
incurring tremendous expenses in &ur
insular possessions. Why is it that our
expenses are almost as much now,
during time of perfect peace, as they
were while we had an immense army
in the field? Why is it that for the
fiscal year of 1905 there is an actual
deficit of $24,000,000? l know we
have a small minority in the House,
but we can earn our salaries and per-
form great service to the country if
we will carefully scrutinize every APP
preparation bill offered. Now, [ know
that the esta Enlistment of the rural
free delivery system has added some
thing live $20,SS0,000 to the cost of
running the government since 1898
but in 1S97-the first year of McKin-
Iey's administra tion-the cost of the
government was 1865 900, 900. The eX-
penses for the last fiscal year are
$567,00O, 900. 1t is perfectly evident