Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-05-05
Standing By the Pre- sfdent.


Standing by the Pre- sident.
Washington dispatches, under date
OF April 2ath, brought the intelligence
That's
John Sharp Williams gave the Repub-
lican majority in the house an oppor-
tunlty either to permit or refuse to per-
nit vote on the Stevens bill to place
wood pulp on the free list. In the course
OF cleverly humorous and satirical
speech he unrolled and held up to view
the following petition to Speaker Can
bon, bearing the signatures of 1854 of the
Democratic members:
We, the undersigned, representatives
In congress. request each for himself
and eack for each cf the others, that
you recognize one of US, or, if you pre-
fer, some other representative, to move
to discharge the comnittee on ways and
means from further consideration of and
to suspend the rules and pass the Stew
ems bill, or any other bill having the
effect to put wood pulp and print paper
on the free list"
Mr.. Williams said that the two Demo
cratic members waose names were not
appended to tie petition were out of
town, but efforts were being made to
reach them by wire When their sigma
lures were added, only thirty Republi-
can names would be needed to swell
the strength of the petition to the pro-
portions OF majority request which
Mr.. Williams said with good.natured
sarcasm he felt sure the speaker would
heed
Now, why don't the republican papers
of Wisconsin give to John Sharp Will
liams, to the president and to Congress-
man Cooper that moral support and
encouragement of which they are capa-
BILE, by publishing anew the resolutions
passed by the press association of this
state in the summer of 1902. They
were framed by Col John Hicks. of the
Oshkosh Northwestern. Here thoy are
1.-THE avowed object of the protective
tariff is to stimulate weak industries to
control the American market, American
manufacturers, and TO provide for the
welfare of the whole people by encour-
aging home industry and the home
markets, and
Whereas, Certain lines of manufacture
ing in the United States have been so
thoroughly stimulated, that their pro-
duct can be turned out at price to
compete with rival manufacturers in
any part of the world, and their goods
are now sold in foreign markets at
lower prices than in the United States;
and
Whereas, The rapid and individual
growth of some of the over-protected
Industries has tempted their managers
to combine their force so as to abnor
mally advance prices and cause the
10 70,
tax not to American industry, but to
enchance the unearned profits of these
misguided manufacturers whose power
by combination under the operation of
our present laws, enables them to posi-
lively control their respective lines and
gives them a power exercised by no
absolute monarch, in all the range of
history, to levy tribute on the great
mass of the people under the guIse of
law, therefore be it.
Resolved, That in the opinion of
the Wisconsin Press association
whenever and wherever the manu-
facturers of any article which Is
protected by our tariff laws, resort to
trusts and combines to abnormalIy ad-
vance prices, Congress should at once
reduce the tariff on such articles in or
der to allow foreign competition for the
relief of the people against such unholy
and unfair com bination. Without en-
tering into further discussion of the
principles OF protection we firmly and
unequivooally protest against such a
perversion of the protective principles,
as enables manufacturers to levy tribute
upon the consumers by enhancing
prices beyond what is required for a
reasonable profit.
Then the resolution proceeds to call
upon Congress to reduce the tariff on
wood pulp and print paper, to give re-
lief to the publishers of Wisconsin.
The dispatches state also that:
among insurgent Republicans of Tie
house is very persistent. 1t is said they
propose to join forces with the Demo
cratic minority, to secure control of the
house by making coalitic that will
represent majority of the body, and
then to run over the speaker to the
extent OF passing several bills in which
Republicans and Democrats alike are
interested and which the president has
repeatedly recommended to congress,
but which the present leaders of the
house will not accept. Congressman
Cooper. according to report in clrcula-
ton today. is likely to be the leader of
the Republican detection.
We believe that the president and
John Sharp Williams, with his list of
1865 democratic congressman, together
with those thirty, OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
are entitled to ali the aid and comfort
it is possible for the press of Wisconsin
to extend in this supreme effort to run
over Cannon and mis- cohorts, to
put print paper and wood pulp on the
free list and to pass other bills in the
interest of the people. If there are
thirty republican patriots in Congress
let them show up now or forever after
hold their peace.