The Robesonian. [volume] (Lumberton, N.C.) 1870-current, 1908-07-27

Mr.. Taft was not sincere, but
the fact remains that after two
years of undivided power the
Republican party has refused to
enact a single measure to relieve
any of these iniquities and eX-
cesses. The committee appoint
ed by Congress a short time ago
to investigate the tariff on paper
pulp, against which there has
been an outcry for years, in its
report expressed the opinion that
the tariff had very little to do
with price of the article, and rec
commended no action at the time.
We have heard much of this
schedule only because it affects
an article in which the press of
the country is deeply concerned,
but that there are other sched-
ules equally as iniquitous cannot
be doubted. We know that the
tariff has enabled the steel trust
to maintain monopoly prices and
sensibly retard the revival of
business. The panic has not af-
fected the price of steel rails a
penny a ton. If the Republican
party has refused for eleven
years to readjust a single sched-
ule of the tariff is there any rea-
son to believe that if it were kept
in power eleven years longer
there would be any change in
| policy? The public is aware that
there is a liberal group in the
Republican party of which Gov.
Cummins is the leader, but that
, their efforts have been Of no
> avail is notorious. Every express
sion favorable to tariff reform
:, eminating from this source is
l characterized by protected indus
tries as free trade" In a re-
cent article the organ of the
, American Iron and Steele Asso-
:. citation, in reviewing Mr.. Taft S
Il record on the tariff, charges that
he is in accord with Mr.. Roose-
: -Yelt and the free trade element
II of the Republican party. Obvi-
: ously, if Mr.. Roosevelt, as a free
i trader, could not induce the Re
= publican party to modify the tar
I iff it would be mockery for one
i less strenuous to dictate party
l, l. policy.
II We have not yet recovered
/ from the depression caused b.
y the panic of last fall, and it be
u hooves the public to consider the
a cause of the panic to the enc
= that intelligent action may bt
D. taken looking to enactment O.
~ ~ laws which if they will not pre-
III vent the recurrence of such wide
H. spread disaster may at least mod
T. ify the effects. Ex-Secretar,
Is Gage, one of the most practica
" Ce fnanciers in the country and
III recognized authority on the sub
Is Il ject, in his testimony before tn
- banking committee of tn
CT House last February said tha
S, if the Fowler bill had been a lay
lo when the crisis came the PAM
u 81 could have been arrested. Tha
IL there would have been some re
IT, cession in trade due to serv
H. encroachmenent liquid captit;
g ne would not deny, but asserte
al that with proper banking law
er the panic could have been checl
ne ed in it's incipiency and the effec7
ne confined to a narrow limit ar
TO short duration. 1t is a matte
al of common knowledge that NJ
.er Fowler introduced a bill tv
us years ago identical in princip
on with the measure then und'
or discussion, and only varying
IS details, and Notwithstanding TIL
ne Mr.. Gage earnestly urged tt
7rs enactment of the bill the R
IN publican party, in possession
fo- every branch of the governmen
ess refused to enact. Thus out
ng mouth of Mr.. Gage, Republic;
an ex-Secretary of the treasury, Il
Lor Republican party is condemn
2 for it's failure to enact curren
me legislation which would have re
zen cued the country from the mo
OF disastrous panic in it's histor
Icn There is not a business intere
ooV- in the country which has n
ter been more or less affected
10 the depression in trade, which
has been shown, was preventak
nsC to a large extent by wise acti
7x1 on the part of the Regublic
OF party. Not only did the F
er publican Congress refuse to ens
) is the Fowler or any similar bi
mo they did the farcical thing
1gs appointing a currency comm
J., sion composed of men who q
the mostly "green-backers'', and
un- one of whom is an authority
oV- banking. It is a foregone &C
we clusion that the report of t
and committee will amount to no
ent ing, and it is openly charged
on papers of such standing as
be- New York Journal of CONNER
am that the Aldrich-Vreeland
was was passed merely for politi
can effect and with the fixed purpC
nan to defeat reacurrency refo1
IN 1t is estimated that under t
de- bill currency will cost the put
'eree Is per cent, and it must
and plain that the benefit, if al
geo will inure only to stock eXchang
rse' and that no possible advant;
can accrue to the commerce
90 the country.
1t will thus be seen that
least ~ IL oe'A ~ GU" ny
. has hepuOllcdn party Is nOpeleE
ond incOnnntont Oh. nOMorlncC