The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1908-05-26
BY gibson GARDNER

WASHlNGION, ID. u, May 20
Graft rises above politics and
parties"
The above remark was once made
to the writer by the late Robert r..
HIT, veteran congressman. Remem-
bering it has made it easy to un-
derstand many situations which
have since arisen.
In large affairs the term graft
may be translated into corporation
influence" Examples are furnish
ed almost daily.
Child labor legislation, in the SEN
ate. furnishes one.
The national child labor bill was
referred at the beginning of this
session of congress to the commit
tee on education AMI labor. No
consideration has been given it, no
report has been made. Senator
Dolliver has announced that no re-
port is to be made this session.
The democratic members of this
committee are John w. Daniel OF
Virginia. Isador Raynor of Mary
land, Thos. H. Paynter of Ken
lucky and John Bankhead of Ala
bama All are opposed to national
child labor bill.
The republican members are
Jonathan P. Dolliver of Iowa, Boies
Penrose of Pennsylvania, Frank P.
Flint of California, Frank B.
Brandegee of Connecticut and VIM.
E. Borah of Idaho. All these SEN
ators, save Borah, are opposing any
child labor legislation of national
character
Why? For what do these men
stand that they should take this
attitude? Is it the result of any
thing in the platforms or the sup
posedly fundamental principles
which divide the republican and
democratic parties?
Virginia, Maryland and Alabama
stand for child labor abuses. They
have cotton spinning rooms where
little girls under II work II hours
at a stretch, in some cases nights
from 6 p. m. to 6 a. m.
Is it because John w. Daniel is
a democrat that he wants no law
to protect childhood? Does the
democracy of Bryan or of Parker,
move Isador Raynor to oppose child
labor legislation?
Is it because Boies Penrose is
republican" that he opposes TAX
ing the II and 14-year-old boy from
the coal breaker and putting him
into school? Or is it Baer, and the
Pennsylvania railroad, and the coal
trust?
Is it a peculiar brand of New
England republicanism that halts
Frank B. Brandegee? Is it because
Jonathan P. Dolliver loves the
democratic party that he obliges
Senators Daniel, Raynor, Paynter
and Bankheai and refuses to make
any report on the Beverage child
labor law?
Or is it because corporation in
fluence' rises above politics and
party?
Take an older instance: the de-
feat of better trade arrangement
for the Philippines.
We have these islands which
came to us in an accidental sort of
way, and for which we have as
sumed a sort of responsibility. We
are treating their people as we
treat the least friendly nations of
the earth, by erecting a tariff bar
rier against them.
1t would mean everything to the
Filipinos if they could send their
sugar and tobacco to the United
States at something less than the
Mckinley duty. And the amount of
their sugar and tobacco is so small
it would really make no difference
to the United States.
But, no. The Philippines may or
may not be a part of the United
States. The constitution may or
may not follow the flag. We may
or may not some day give the isl
ands self-government. But one
thing We won't do, and that is to
give them the advantage of our
markets.
And why?
Ask the members of the senate
/. committee on the Philippines. Ask
Senator Chas. Dick of Ohio, who
two years ago cast the deciding
vote which defeated a bill for a re-