Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-07-03

N>|NSs-s tAAs>A eAAAe ny ALcI uCl
would be to appoint Bat Masterson
dean of the faculty."
| Perhaps we shall hear some more
from dear old Dr. Walcott" about
tho wild and woolly western ways Of
Teddy and the undesirable citizens"
he has consorted with, of the Harri-
man type.
Republicans and Trusts.
To reform the tariff SO that the
trusts would not be protected in
charging present high prices for their
products, would abolish 1.-THE principle
of protection" which the last Republic
can platform declared is "the cardinal
policy of the Republican party" We
know how the trusts and protected
manufacturers successfully protested
when the reciprocity treaties with
France and other Countries were be-
fore the Senate for ratification, al
though those treaties only reduced the
tariff 20 per cent on some few articles
that were protected by duties ayerag-
ing Is per cent.
VIII even the most conservative Re
publican tariff reformer say that 90
per cent reduction will appreclably re-
duce the prices of the products of the
protected trusts, when their present
protection is from 80 to over 100 per
cent? If so, are the Republican re.
visionists prepared to revise the tariff
still lower, until those trusts that sell
cheaper abroad than to our own peo-
pie, can do so no longer?
The Democratic plan of abollshing
trust protection and limiting the rates
OF duty, ito the needs Of the govern
ment, economically, effectively, and
constitutionally administered" is to
invite disaster according to the Re
publican platform which also declared
that: "A democratic tariff has al
ways been followed by business adver-
sity; Republican tariff by business
prosperity" That mendaeious state.
ment has been proven SO historically
untrue that honest Republicans are
heartily ashamed Of it. The facts are
the Republican leaders find themselves
confronted with tariff reform senti-
ment that Is becoming dangerous to
their continued supremacy and the
question Of standing by the tariff pro-
tected trusts, or propitiating the peo-
pie plundered by trust high prices, can
no longer be put off with "let, well
enough alone" The trusts and pro-
tected manufacturers furnish the flnan-
cial backing Of the Republican party
and most of the Republican members
Of Congress are under obligations to
those Interests. AS tie protection the
trusts enjoy allows them to charge
large profits, it is absurd to believe
they will be willing to allow their pro-
lection to be eliminated or even re-
duced or that the Republican party
will forego their campaign contribu-
tons. Such happenings would be equal
to the phenomena of pigs flying, but
they are very unlikely birds. ~
Wall Street. CalIs Halt. huoq;
The lates circumference rat thep White
House of the President, cabinet and
members Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission to consider If Mr.. Harri-
man could be successfully prosecuted
for conspiracy in restraint of trade,
decided that he could be prosecuted I'M
der the civil section Of the law, but
not under the criminal section. This,
of course, means that Mr.. Hartman
will escape prosecution personally and
the government will proceed against
the railroads known as the Hartman
combination, which, 1t will be claimed,
We're operated under contracts that
We're unreasonable restraints Of in
terstate trade"
This decision Of the President and
cabinet would seem to hardly justify
the declaration of President Roosevelt
that Mr.. Hartman was such an .'un-
desirable citizen" any more than the
head of any other railroad combina-
ton.
The upshot Of the conference seems
to relieve the President of the odium
of forcing the prosecution Of either
Mr.. Hartman or his railroad com
bine and to postpone action by turn
Ing the whole matter over to the In
terstate Commerce Commission and
the Attorney General.
1t Is limited that some of the Presl-
dents advisers were of the opinion
that it would be unwise in the face
Of the disturbed conditions In Wall
street and the money market condi-
lions generally to begin proceedings
which would necessarily lead to prose-
cutlons against other railroad corpor-
ations which had also combined in re-
straint of trade.
Although present bosses of the Re
publican party aspire to be known as
the real thing in trust and combine
busting it is seen how easily they
postpone action when Wall street calls
a halt. All their buster has not re.
duced an unreasonable railroad rate
nor compelled trust to forego Its
plunderlng although the people are
more than ever suffering from high
railroad rates and the increasing cost
Of living through trust high prices.
Another Favorite Son.
Many Democrats in the middle
States are proposing Governor Folk,
of Missouri, us the Democratic can
didate for President and coupling
Governor johnson, Of Minnesota, as
the candidate for Vice President. Gov
ernor Felix being the original reform
err and prosecutor of grafters makes
him generally looked upon by Demo-
Gratis as leader of renown and be-
ing capable of correcting abuses in his
own State gives good reason to be-
lieve he would curb the corporation
plundering that is the national evil
of the day. Geographically he is well
situated for getting votes and being
a favorite son of one OF the South
ern States, 1t is quite possible that the
delegates from the South may rally
around him in the final wincmfwyp