Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1909-06-18
A SHAMELESS AND IN
DEEENSIBLE GRAFT

The cotton schedule of the tariff hill
went through the senate us easily and
comfortably as could he asked 10y the
most devoted of the Republican disciples
| # high tariff graft. The cotton SEIZED.
ulc is the most pcrnicious, iniquitOu>
and indcfcnSihlc of all of the schedule,
md its easy passage through the upper
house can therefore he taken Us an indi-
cation of what the Republican congress
is going to do with the tariff matter. 1t
is going 20 rGviS, il upward, despite the
protests of practically every newspare r
in the country and nine tcnths of the
| people of the country, and despite tie
futile opposition of the little handful Of
Republican insurgents.
LaFollettc and his followers, indeed,
cut about the same figure in congress
! that they did in the Republican conven-
ton at Chicago. They are given the OPP
p%ortunity to voice their opininns-and
then they are spread out prone. in full
view of the, audience, while the steam.
roller runs ovcr them. The system
is going to make the tariff hill, just ms
it male the Republican platform and
| chose Sherman to be the running mate
of Taft.
Democrats may get some scant com
fort ont of the fight over the cotton
schedule in the fact that only two of
their senators betrayed thcm-FOstcr
and McEncry, both of louisiana. The
rest of the Democrats voted on the side
of the people and against the privileges
of the cotton manufacturers of New
England. as fcalty to their party re-
quircd them to do. Only ten Repuhli-
cans. on the other hand, voted with the
people. Four-ffths of the Republican
senators stood like Il stone wall for
special privilege. in this lineup praC-
tically as they have in every other.
On the authority of Senator Nelson Of
Minnesota. Il Republican. the Aldrich
bill raises the tariff tax on cotton goods
all the way from 20 to 100 per cent or
more. 1t means just that much of an
increased burden on CIV ~ housewife,
on every mother with little girls to
clothc. The Republican party is going
into every home in the land and levy
ing an increased tax. not 70 br paid
into the federal trcasn-.' but. by virtue
Of nrot"rt>ut 70 :",rr' Enc Golfers Of
ttie Sey. Ell gland cotton mill owners.
Yet. as Senator Gore showed the
other day. the cotton mills are already
paying enormous profits. The Dart
mouth Cotton Company, in 1907. and
1908 paid dividends Of GG per cent and
the Troy Cotton and Woolcn Manu-
featuring Company paid ca per cent.
The ACushnct Company paid 81 per
cent in 1901 The Dartmouth company.
In addition, in February Of the present
year. declared IA special dividend of 100
per cent, payable either in cash or in
bonds. Senator Gore cited numerous
other instances almost us fragrant. and
proved them by the official reports.
why should the Dartmouth comp.
any he given protection that enables It
to charge Mrs. john Smith. whose hns.
band earns Sl2 n week, fifty cents for
Il piece Of cotton cloth that. without the
protection. would cost her only thirty
ccnts-md that could lo sold her ut
thirty cents for Il fair prolitT In two
successive years the Dartmouth comp.
any earned GG per cent on its invest.
mcmt, and the next year declared Il
special dividend Of 100 per cent. What
right has this company Ia br reaching
It's greedy hand down into the family
purse Of the Smiths7 Who most needs
the protection and the fayors of govern. |
nCnt this corporation. or John Smith
and Mrs. Smith. whoOn thCirSl2 u week
are trying to support and educate five
or six clildrcnf
The tariff Is not 80 much a tax ~ IL il
graft. II IL graft by tho rich at the cx-
Of the poor, conducted under the
auspices and with the express permits.
,iOn Of the United States government.
Tho people thought. last fall whichever
rarty won. that the graft would be
trimmed down q bit. Instead they find