The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1905-05-26
Roosevelt And
The Tariff.

The Tariff.
Has President Roosevelt entered the
wedge for split in his party which
will rend it wide asunder? This is the
question which is being discussed
wherever politicians, or even business
men, are gathered together in Wash
ington and, judging by the reports, in
business houses and clubs all over the
country. If one listens for few
months to Il group of stand patterS, as
they are called who rigidly oppose any
change OF the tariff schedules, he will
be convinced that the Republican
party is doomed to disruption and de-
feat and their reasoning is not sur
priSing. AS the servants of the high
ly protected industries all over the
country Republicans In Congress have
been diligently opposing every move
toward lowering the tariff schedules
and have denied, with naughty in
difference to facts, that American
manufacturers were selling their
products abroad for prices far below
those charged in this country. They
have refused to listen TO the people
who have read the last Democratic
Campaign Book and who there saw a
| long list Of articles wit h two prices op-
posltc each, one the price charged the
foreigner the other The price
charged the American for the same
article and with a difference or about
| so per cent in favor of the foreigner
Now the American public is inform
ed that the claims Of the Democrats
are absolutely correct; that two ships
which the Panama Canal ommisSion
wished to buy were priced at 81, ,4O0, ,OOO
in this country. while identical ships,
constructed of steel plates made by
the American steel Trust, could be
bought in Europe for $3.50, 900; that
the domestic price of steel rails is $33
ton and the foreign price for the
same rails, with freight prepaid to
Europe is $40 ton, and, incidentally,
that the cost of the rails is only $l2 a
ton. that "the protected hogs nave
their hind feet in the trough" and
thai it is high time they were taught
lesson; that the tariff shelters mo-
| nopoly and that, in word, the Amer
lean consumer is being robbed. And
the informant Of the American people
on all these points is none other than
President Roosevelt, the leader of the
Republican party. Is it any wonder
that the stand patterS see defeat
ahead; that they foresee their own
doom for the reason that they have al
ways been elected by the campaign
contributions of the trusts and now
that the party Of which they are
me mbers must follow its leader and
elect to Congress men who will vote
for tariff revision, their reason for
being has ceased?
1t all came about in this way. The
President has discovered that the
Panama Canal Commission, was being
robbed by combination of American
trusts; that, as the Democrats have
always claimed, the tariff has created
monopolieS which were SO bold as to
try to rob the government which by
/ Us favoritiSm has created them and
as ungrateful as the viper which stung
the bosom that cherished it. When
rumors of this condition OF affairs
first reached the President he did not
bel eve them, but he began an in
veStigation. First lie determined to
get rid Of Admiral Walker, chairman
OF tile Old Commission. Congress,
that is few leaders in Congress, kill
ed the bill! that gave the President
authority 10 reorganiZe the Panama
Canal Commission bat the reSourcerul
Pre- ident found Il way when he had
gotten rid Of Walker aud the old Com
mission he placed men whom he knew
in charge and told them to report the
facts to him. When they made their
report he found that the rumors were
true and he became angry and siren
uouS-not Strong-but strenuous.
language, referred to the trusts as
hogs who had put not alone their fore
feet but all four feet into the trough,
etc. and then he rendered his now
famous decision that the Commission
should either compel the American
oruStS to grant their largest fore eign
discount or else buy the machinery
md supplies for the canal abroad. The
President Is protectoniSt, but he
does not believe in the perpetuation
of schedules which will allow of eX-
tortion and he is convinced that many
of the Hingley schedules do that.
The stand patterS are using every
effort TO defeat the intent Of the Pres
iGent. They have spread unwarranted |
stories 10 the effect that lie purposes
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