Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-03-15
THE R0BBER COMBINES
How They Plumber the Ameri-
can People.
REPUBLICAN FRACTIONAL FIGHT

HARD Feelings Over the Philippine
Tariff on Sugar and Tobacco - The
Democratic Proposition to Wipe Out
the Special Protection to the Sugar
Trust.
The American Economist, the paid
organ of the protected trusts, is vastly
annoyed at the Republican members of
the house Of representatives and indi-
rectly at the administration for urging
ind passing the bill to reduce the tariff
On sugar, tobacco and rice to Is per
cent of the present tariff rates and free
trade on the other articles imported
from the Philippines. 1t would seem
that these Republicans, says the Econ
omist, care imperfectly Informed as to
the ultimate results of free trade in
the products Of a country whose land
and labor are in value not more than
one-third the value Of land and labor
in the United States. 1t must be that
these gentlemen have not acquainted
themselves with the facts necessary to
enable them to look forward a little
and see what the outcome may and
probably will be.
ut may turn out that the senate will
take q broader view and also a more
detailed scrutiny of the situation than
was permitted in the house. Fortunate
it would indeed be for the general
cause of protection for all American
labor and industry and for the perma-
nency of that policy if the senate
should insist upon knowing what Is to
happen to competitive production in
our w country when the door shall
have been opened wide in 1906 and
taken off the hinges altogether in 1909
and thereafter through free trade in all
the products of the 8 1-19 cents per day
labor Of the Philippines"
The whole argument Of the Econo-
mist is to stand pat, for it exclaims:
"Why not leave things as they areY'
Why disturb the protection to the sugar
growers? The fact that the Philippines
are American territory and that the
Fillpinos are under the government Of
the United States does not seem to
enter into the calculations Of this pro-
lection organ.
This bill the Republicans are so di-
vided upon is only a small crumb to
the poor Filipinos, and yet the stand
patters begrudge it.
But the greater question Of how it
will affect the American people was
the point made by the Democrats when
the bill was under consideration, and
this quarrel between Republican fac
tons is not whether the Filipinos shall
continue to be robbed or whether the
sugar and tobacco trusts shall continue
to plumber the American people, but If
the beet sugar and tobacco trusts shall
also continue to get their share of the
plumber.
The Democrats attempted to protect
the American sugar consumer by offer
ing an amendment to the bill to cut off
the diferential duty on refined sugar,
which allows the sugar trust to charge
nearly a cen a pound, or nearly $780,
100000 a year, over and above a fair
J profit, on all the sugar sold by the two
| trusts to the American people. But
the Republicans would not consider
/ this antitrust proposition or the Econ
omist. and its Republican trust hackers
! would feel more wrathful than they do
| now, for to abolish this part Of the
| sugar tax would cut off one Of their
largest sources Of income. both for the
| publication OF protective tariff litera-
| ture and for money for campaign
| funds.
The Standard Oil trust is generally
| quoted as the greatest plunderer Of
| the American people, and with its nu-
! merous ~ramifcations 1t probably is. but
| for straight downright robbery that
| touches the pocket Of every family the
| sugar trust, on its article, can am
| ply match 1t. If the American people
| paid this sugar tax and other tariff
taxes which the Republicans refuse to
| revise or decrease as 4 direct tax IN
| stead Of indirectly by increased cost Of
| the necessaries Of life there would be
a political revolution that would un-
! horse the trusts and their Republican
supporters.
This tariff and trust issue is one that
| the voters must decide when they elect
! the Sixtieth congress next fall, and,
although It is impossible to abolish all
! tariff taxes, and thus abolish the trusts,
because the government needs the rev
enue from the tariff, yet 1t Is possible
by conservative tariff reduction to col
lect as much revenue and at the same
time wipe out enough trust protection
so as to materially reduce the price to
the American consumer on trust prod
ucts. That Is the Democratic position,
and sensible men who are not in some
way aided by the trusts have come
to that conclusion.
Railroads. In Control.
The Pennsylvania railroad officials
| 1opu thov ora discriminating AGAINST