The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-02-09
McCleary's Tariff Bill Not Re.
ceived With Favor.
RIDDLED BY THE PRESS,
Republican Newspapers Criticisinq
Measure; Move to Investigate
Congressional Library.
FREE Press BUREAU,
WASHINGTON, FEB. 3.

WASHINGTON. FEB. 8. !
A few of the friends of Congressman
James II. McCleary take exception to
the statements made in this correspond
ence to the effect that his radical high
protection standpat hard and fast retail
iatory tariff bill against the German en-
pire stand no show of becoming a law.
TO these gentlemen we tender our best
respects and will venture the assertion
here and now that the McCleary bill is
much further away from passage through
congress than it was the day it was in
troduced The second district member
after six consecutive terms in the house
of representatives will fail to identify
his name with any statute of national
Importance during his seventh term.
The press of the country, which is a
pretty safe index of public sentiment is
pretty near unanimous against the Me-
Cleary proposition. 1t is true that some
of the Washington correspondents, to
whom he has given interviews, have sent
out statements to their papers of a bare
possibility of the Is per cent increase
of the Dingley schedules as embodies in
McCleary's bill being favorably report
ed but their prophecies ended there.
- =:
Let us take a little perspective of
what some of the great daily papers say
on the subject editorially. The Wash
ington Post which is recognized as one
of the ablest, most reliable, and conser-
vative newspapers of the country, speak
ing of a possible tariff war between the
United States and Germany has this to
say. "At the proper time it will be
discovered, we believe, that neither See
rotary of State Root, or Secretary of the
Treasury Shaw has been concerned about
the tariff war in the slightest degree.
Both know perfectly well that Germany
takes from the United States only what
she must, and that if she raises her du-
ties on the raw materials used by her
manufacturers there will be a howl in
Germany that will drown the noise on
this side of the Atlantic
Already the is-.st -ronsunacrs of Ger
many are organizing to force more liber-
al regulations as to American meats. If
they should be joined by the industrial
forces of Germany, which look to the
United States for raw materials the tar
if war against the United States will
take its place with the Chinese boycott
as an international bugaboo."
And yet Congressman McCleary is try
ing to create sentiment in congress
for that body to buckle on boots and
sprus and off to wage war with those
good old law-abiding traders and GUS
toners of ours, the Germans.
One of the staunch defenders of the
Dingley tariff bill of 1897 is the st. Louis
Globe Democratic republican paper with
a capital r. This paper points out, in
discussing the tariff situation, that Ger
many is helpless against us and will be
compelled to buy our cotton and other
products in any event, whereas we can
purchase the manufactured goods the
same as we now buy from Germany
elsewhere.
The Philadelphia North American the
oldest republican paper in the east is
even more pronounced. 1t says: SIN
the first place our nation has never
threatened Germany, nor in any manner
Disseminated against its products. Our
tariff law now is perfectly impartial. 1t
has but one set of duties, which operate
uniformly in all cases, irrespective of
the origin of imports.
What German goods pay at our ports
of entry, all other similar imports pay.
Thus at least the German people can
not truthfully say that we have imposed
any special disabilities upon them as sell
ers in the American market. They are
treated precisely as we treat everybody
else.
''In the second place tariff or no tariff
Germany finds in this country one of
her three best markets.
portance that the Germans sells us moth
ing which we could not get elsewhere
or make at home"
Still, in the fact of these strong state
ments from the press Mr.. McCleary
would start in discriminating tariff
duty against Germany or any other
which is foolish enough to think
they can get along without doing bust
ness with our Uncle Samuel
A sweeping resolution offered in the
house of representatives by Hon. Rob-
ert G. Cousins of Iowa proposes to in
vestigate the congressional library. Mr..
Cousins calls on the librarian of congress
to furnish the house of representatives
with list of the names. of all persons
VINO are on the roll of the library, when |
each was appointed and upon whose rec
the date of the appoint |