The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-12-29
MACS TWO TARIFF BILLS.
Were Introduced to Square Himself
With the Eastern Standpatiers;
Germany Trade Relations.
IspecIal to The Free Press.l

Wnlcn the general puDHc Is uiI'eisahy
interested, is the many shifting and
changing positions congress takes before
any given measure is crystalized into
law
Just now the paramount pending leg
islation pertains to railroad rates and
federal authority and supervision over
transportation companies engaged in in
terstate commerce. There are now up
word of three hundred bills before the
senate and house Interstate commerce
committees bearing on the question.
And not one of them, strange to say
embodies the leading features of the
bill which less than two years ago was
the talk of the country, viz: The
Quarles Cooper bill. While that meas
me was up in congress petitions poured
i'm for its passage from all sections OF
the country and the press generally adj
vocated its passage. But nobody wants
the Quarles Cooper bill now. Its adop-
ton as a law, it has been demonstrated
would have worked very disastrously
to the country because it provided fOl
distance tariff, and that proposition is
no longer tenable.
Pretty nearly in the same boat is the
once famous Esch Townsend bill fol
which the country clamored 1t will
never be enacted into law, but still the
agitation will result in rate legisla-
ton Just the same. Public sentiment
cannot be ignored by congress, and even
as to the method which ought to be
adopted to obtain certain end, they
ultimately have to heed the behests of
the people who send them to congress.
The process of evolution, which every
great question must experience is now
going forward, so far as railroad rate
legislation is concerned, and for the
time being the question of n lowering of
tariff schedules is secondary.
Mr.. McCieary's Dilema.
And yet the tariff will not down, rail
road rate legislation to the contrary
Notwithstanding.
The house committee on ways and
means after ten days of hearings have
decided by a close vote to report fav.
orably bill providing for a reduction
of the Dingley tariff schedules on i'm.
ports from the Philippine islands. This
is done, in order, so the members who
favor the bill say, that we may show
our good faith to the people of the
Philippines that we really want to aid
them substantially and materially.
Congressman McCleary voted for the
Philippine bill in the committee but he
has been explaining ever since why he
did so. While making long statement
in which he tries to show that the i'm
portation of sugar from the islands, viii
not work disastrously to the beet and
States. Mr. McCleary becomes sc
cane sugar industries of the United
alarmed lest his position may be mis-
construed that he introduces two bills
To tinker with the tariff.
Think of 1t.
McCleary the standpatter, and the
very incarnation of radical high pro-
lection voting in the committee or
ways and means for practical free trade
with the Philippines, and at the same
time in order to square himself with the
eastern interests who regard the Dingley
rates as sacred, McCleary introduces q
bill which would increase the rates OF
duty on imports into the United States
from any country which discriminates
against the United States in its tariff
schedules.
Mr.. McCleary introduced one bill De.
cember 18th. But it did not suit. He
drafted another on Dec. Goth.
The readers of The Free Press will
inquire why McCleary is popping in
tariff bills Well it will be the object
of these letters to ascertain, and tell
the good people of the second district
that their representative in congress af-
ter being elected to congress seven
times, and serving twelve years, is be-
ginning to awaken to the fact that it is
necessary for him to wake up and try
to do something. He never did get any
public measure through congress that is
of general public Importance, and while
his two tariff discriminating bills are
buncombe and nothing less, it is not
very difficult to show that they may
prove more hurtful to Mr.. McCleary than
they are harmless to congress and the
country.
A Thrust at Germany.
Right now as the readers of The Free
Press are aware, Uncle Sam and Ger
many are into pretty lively tilt over
the commercial trade relations exist
ing between these two great nations.
In March Germany puts her new tar