The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1908-12-05

Champ Clark, who will succeed John Sharp
Williams as leader of the minority in the house of
representatives in the next congress, announces
boldly that he has no deusions regarding the ex-
tent to which the republicans will reduce the
schedules of the Dngley tariff law. Mr.. Clark
arrived in Washington few days ago to partici-
pate, as member of the ways and means COM
mite, in the tariff hearings that committee is now
conducting
AS minority leader, of course it is a part of
Mr.. Cark's business to have no deusions. He
would be entirely satifed with revision that
would meet the democratic demand for tariff for
revenue only. This he we'll knows the republicans
will not consent to. Anything short of it will, in
his opinion, be continuance of the old-time
robbery of the consumer for the purpose of in
creasing the exorbitant profits of the manufacture
ing few, and so Mr.. Clark may be expected to lift
his voice in protest at frequent intervals from now
until the new tariff bill has become aw-and
perhaps for long afterwards pointing out the
falacy of keeping up a high tariff for the sole
benefit Of the manufacturers and the trusts.
To judge from the hearings SO far held and
from the tone of the republican PRESS he says
the revision of the Dingley law will amount to
practically nothing so far as the consumers are
concerned. There is even chance that the rates
will be increased on as many articles as will meet
with reduction. In the recent campaign the re-
publicans played both ends against the middle In
the west they promised radical reductions, and in
the east substantially no reductions at ALL It is
my guess, based on much experience that in the
end the men who will do most to put the new
tariff law into reform will be Speaker Cannon
Senator Aldrch and Representative John Dalze
three standpatters of the most pronounced and
arrogant type Chairman Payne of the ways and
means committee is slightly infected with the true
revision sentiment, but not enough to hurt If
the maximum and minimum principle is adopted
the present Dingley maxmums will be the mini
NUNS, in every instance"
The following article from the New York Press
(republican) is an interesting delineation of the
New York opinion as to what may be expected
under the new administration:
No president since Lincoln has been faced
with bigger task than Taft's.
Backed by an overwhelming vote of confidence
in the Roosevelt policies, for which he stands, he
must be loyal to the trust reposed in him by the
president. Yet the same things Roosevelt has
been trying to do he will do in his own way The
difference in the methods of the two presidents
can be tremendous
"Mr. Roosevelt has thundered against the
wealthy malefactors, " but none of them are in
jail. Mr.. Taft may refuse to thunder against
them Everything the president-elect has said in
his public utterance shows that he does not be-
lieve in the pententiary treatment for consprators
in restraint of trade Mr. Taft plainly has ac-
cepted the great industrial combination as some
thing which has come to stay Accepting it, he
will naturally refuse to go further than his prede-
cessor has gone in the efforts to check the trusts
As a natural result the Sherman act would be un-
der Taft, as it was under Roosevelt and Mckinley
and Cleveland, dead letter.
There is no halfway course open to the new
president, and if there were his temperament does
not promise that he would take it. Either the
trusts are wrong in principle or they are right
Either they can be destroyed and competition in
the great industries restored, or the principle of
cooperation must be upheld.
1--WE assume that Mr. Taft will develop his pol
icy in the direction of preserving the Industrial
combination We think he will scorn to denounce
them in his speeches while extending to them the
official protection of the department of justice
This is what Mr. Roosevelt and his attorney gen.
erals have done.
"Mr. Bryan has proposed to break up the
monopolies and the people have rejected his plan
by huge majority. Does this mean that they
want the monoplies destroyed by some other plan ?
We do not think So While the verdict in favor of
the republican candidate is not an Endorsement of
the present plan of industrial combination, Mr..
Taft's we'll known attitude is not hostile to the
monopoly except when it adopts crudely unlawful
means to preserve its existence. Necessity for
the use of these unlawful means in the mainte-
nance of monopoly, such as railroad rebates have