The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-12-02
TARIFF
SYSTEM
AFFECTS
MORALS
Special to Daily Leader.

Special to Daily Leader.
Washington, ID. C.. Dec. 2--It has
sometimes been said that the protec-
tive system has been the greatest
corrupting influence in the history of
our national government. Any one
attending these tariff hearings could
hardly fail to get new light on the
possibilities in that line Ex-Con-
gresham NJ. e. Rhodes Of Missouri
appeared on Nov. II and urged an
increase Of the duty on crude "ba-
rytes" from IS cents to IS per ton
Mr. Rhodes read one of his own let
ters, in which he said; - have per-
sonal knowledge OF the situation he,
cause I am interested In the mining
of barytes." He said to the commit.
Ice: when / was in Congress / in.
/ ltroduced a bill In the Flfty-ninth Cor
gress, which sought TO fix a speeihc
lduty OF 81 ton on crude ores be
cause I believed at that time that
that would give lis ample profession. y
In the present stage of evolution Of
public morals. In most city councils a
member peculiarly interested IN a
contract to be awarded by thS council
Is not allowed TO vote upon Al. and IN
many cities members are absolutely
| forbidden to have any personal inter,
est in such contracts Bnt In Con
gress members not only iRtroduce aud
vote on bills for tariff favprs In which
they are pecuniarly interested. but
they vote for other meIpbers bills IN
return for votes for their own
On the same date ID. S. Alexander,
now representative from The Buf,
fal0. New York, district, appeared be.
fore the committee Gn behalf OF the
Schoelkopf. Hartford Hanna Com.
pany and pleaded aloquently foi .
higher duty on anilihe dyes. He did
not state whether he was pecuniarly
interested In the cumpany, but repeat.
ledly used the expressions such as
"our plant" "our nfoduct," give us,
etc.
Representative Forney OF Michigan
Is one of the nineteen members OF
the committee on Nays and means
lwho viii frame q tarif bill In viii h
the present duties or lumber will be-
left, raised or reduced During the
hearing on The lumber schedule Mi
FOrdney said while examining a wit
ness: u have been In the lumber
business ever Since ] was a boy
Later he saidF referring to lumber
manufacturing: II am In the manu-
featuring buahess in the South IN
the state OF Mississippi: and again
referring 10 the lumber business on
the Pacific SORst: i am In the busl
ness Out thenS
These insntices of personal pecun
larry interest in the tariff fayors that
are granted 70 private parties by Con
gress certainly are not Isolated cases
These have merely cropped CUT at
the hearings There have been eX
amples Of anOther interesting pTac
tee Ia court OF Justice IL would
he thought strange IL Judge OF tn,
same or a. coordinate court sh0ul,
descend from the bench and address
the judges I'm behalf OF private sulr
ors. Yet members Of Congress. the
court Nslieh must pass on the pre-
llminary findings OF the ways ant
means conmittee. appear before thai
COMMITTEES 10 plead for favOrs 10 pri
yate interests ia their districts. On
Nov. l3 Stephen NJ. Sparkmnn, a rep
resentative from Florida, appeared
land advocated the retention OF the
blFNtul WUAtNn 0n ADbdltus lDllt
tines memars OF the coordinate body
the Senate. appegr On. Nov. lS Sen
ator Hale OF Maine, a member Of The
finance committee, which VIII dea
with the tariR in The Senate, ap
peared anafpeaded for no reduction
in the duties on starch and for q duty
on tapioca,f in the interest OF the
lstfr1h manufacturers OF Maine
I Senator lBurton's ohense was that
The violated the statute fOrmddlna
members onCongress 20 act as attor
lneys for private Interests before gov
lernmcnt departments al Washington
There Is, ar yet no statute forblddina
lmcmbers 10 oact as attorneys for ph
yatc interestg. seeking tariff igvOrE, OF
preventing them from passing Official
ily as legislators, on the granting o
such fayors 30 themselves or thosc
who help to keep them in Office