The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1907-09-17
Evidence That Trusts Control the
Republican Congress.

hCpuOt1OdA OOuSk CSSs
Uncle Joe Cannon virtually tells the
Republican leaders they are in tight
place and that unless Congress ''is act
uated by calmness and patriotism" the
party will be defeated in the coming
national election. The burden of I'm
Gle Joe's song in that the country is
prosperous and there is no Uneasiness
anywhere except in Wall Street, and,
| therefore, cit would be a crime if Con-
gress should do anything at this time
to upset business" That is another
way of saying continue to stanGpat
and let well enough alone-the old
Hanna cry of bygone years. Uncle
Joe likewise warns President Roosevelt
to keep to the standpat path when he
also said: The destines of the party
lie very largely in the hands of Con
gress and the or-ordinate hands of the
Government. the Executive. " Will
President Roosevelt standpat at the
bidding of the protected trusts? which
Speaker Cannon has so faithfully serv-
ed, especially the Steel Trust, by pack
ing the Ways and Means Committee
with standpatters. Moody's Magazine,
a reliable New York financial jorunal,
which as the faculty of telling the
truth about trusts and corporations
speaking of the Steel Trust in its
August number said: eff the STEEL
corporation really were as protection
lists assume, a struggling infant indus
try that could not survive long without
tariff pap, and if the good people of
this country were generous, kind and
foolish enough to vote this tariff tax of
$50, 900, 600 a year upon themselves,
there would be no ground for criticism
or complaint. If the steel corporation
officials would even confine their tariff
activity to arguments and to contCibu-
lions to political parties, they would
not be censurable to any great extent.
But when these officials, by some
means, gain control of the leaders of
the ways and means committee and the
house of representatives, and use
their influence to suppress discussion
of the tariff, they aTe.playing the tariff
game unfairly.
The writer was known, for years,
that the officials of the steel corpora
ton were debating standpatism to the
ways and means committee. He has
seen letters from steel cooperation
officials to members of this committee,
advising them not to touch the tariff
on any pretext. Somelof these let
tiers are now beginning to see the light
of day, or at least to be discussed in
daylight.
The evidence that the Republican
leaders in Congress have all been tied
up to this policy of protecting the
Steel Trusts and other tariff protected
trusts is overwhelming, otherwise
they would select a speaker who would,
at least, appoint Ways and Means
Committee which would consider tariff
revision. 1t is also as certain as any
thing in the future can be, that the
Republican leaders will re-elect Speak
er Cannon, knowing that he will again
prevent tariff consideration, and that
President Roosevelt will endorse that
selection by making no recommends
ton to Congress for tariff reform and
must, therefore, also be numbered
amongst the standpauters. Thus the
gigantic Steel Trust has the American
people by the throat, and their repre-
sentatives and their President look
calmy on while their pockets are pick
ed by that enterprising corporation and
theiother tariff protected trusts.
The Republican plan of hauling a
trustzinto court and charging up a gi-
gantic fine against it, is spectacular.
but even if the trust eventuallyihas to
paysthe fine, the consumers of its pro-
ducts have to pay it in the end, as long
as the trust is protected from competi-
ton by the tariff.