The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-06-16

his own view of the whole situation
and this he can do without In any
degree violating his party obligation
or ignoring his party policy.
The chief argument against the tax
was predicted upon the assertion that
the United steel corporation, known
as the steel trust" favored the
imposition of a tariff duty on iron
ore. 1t was asserted that this great
corporation had acquired possession
and control, through ownership and
leaseholds Of enormous areas of land
containing iron ore, and that in con-
| sequence that corporation practical
" held a monopoly of the American
! supply. One senator, at least, and
| perhaps others, asserted that the
trust controlled about So per cent
, of the iron ore area of the United
States. Assuming these almost in
credible statements to be true, 1t was
urged that foreign ore should be ad-
mitted free in the interest Of in
dependent manufacturers of iron and
steel.
Now, MIR. President, 1t Is undoubt-
eddy true that the steel trust SO
called, has obtained possession and
control of a large acreage of ore
bearing land, but to say that the
trust controls IS per cent. or even
SO per cent, of these lands is, to my
mind, a gross exaggeration. The
senator from Alabama (Mr. John
ston) says that the trust and Its al
lied interests do not In any way
control as much as SO per cent OF
the ore lands and mines of his State,
and the Senator from Michigan (Mr.
Smith, declares. as a n after OF per-
sonai knowledge, that the trust Coz.
nm coatrcl as p.uIh as SO per cent
of the ore lands of his State.
The same Is declared to be true as
to the lands and mines of other
States. In fact, it is affirmed that
in some of the States, as in Virginia.
where great quantities Of iron ore
exist and are mined, the trust has
no property interests whatever. Mr..
President, to my mind it is perfectly
evident and clear that If we should
exclude and shut out every acre OF
ore lands owned or controlled BY the
trust there would still be left vastly
more than could be used by all the
iron and steel industries of the coun-
try, including the trust, for a n
fury. Of curse, / may be wrong
as to this, but l do not believe so.
have the utmost confidence that
my estimate in this behalf Is at least
approximately correct. If this be
So, then the Independent manufac-
turers of steel and iron, If indeed
there really are any such, can obtain
their domestic supply on equal terms
with the trust; and If that be true,
then of what peculiar advantage
would free ore be to the "lndepen-
dents?" If foreign ore should be
made free, the trust could go out
into the world and buy and import
as well as the independents" and
at least upon equal terms with them.
One would hold no advantage over
the other.
But it has been asserted that the
steel trust magnates favored a duty
on iron ore. l am frank to say that
in my view of the situation, as have
stated It, I am unable to perceive
how the imposition Of this Suty can
possibly work to the advantage to
the trust, or how free ore would con-
tribute to it's disadvantage. must
have clearer, more definite, and GER
tain evidence than has been submit
ted to convince ME to the contrary.
| can not ignore what seem to me
to be the plain truth Of this situa-
ton, and be thrown off my feet and
satmpeded because some one exhibits
the specter of the steel trust. must
be controlled in my action by facts
as l see them, and not by the fear
of some remote and improbable
danger.
Again, Mr.. President, this further
fact stands out and can not be over
looked: Enormous iron ore deposits
have been recently discovered and
are aow being rapidly developed on
the northern coast Of Cuba. These
great properties have been acquired,
ostensibly, at least, by the Bethle-
hem and the Pennsylvania steel
companies. These ores can be min
ed cheaper in Cuba than In this coun-
try, and they can be shipped to our
seaports by water at a comparatively
light transportation charge. There
fore it Is altogether probable that the
great bulk of foreign ores coming
to the States will come from these
Cuban mines, owned, as<I have said,
by the Bethlehem and Pennsylvania
steel companies.
In the management Of these COM
panies, at least of the Bethlehem, Mr..
! Schwab is a central and commanding
figure. And who is Mr.. Schwab?
He was educated in the iron and steel