The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-03-31
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 81, 1909.
POLITICAL BuNCOMBE.


When Mr.. Roosevelt retired from
the White house on March 4, it was
announced by the political iokesmiths
that the "Ansniss club" the famous
aggregation to which several promi.
nent citizens were appointed during
the past seven years, would be die.
banded, and that President Taft would
organize the "Buncombe club" in its
place. The president has a large field
from which to recruit his proposed
organization, and II all those who are
eligible to membership are duly sp-
pointed, the "Buncombe club" will
become n of the largest and most
interesting collections of it's kind in
the world.
Reference to recent tariff debates in
congress-, for instance, indicates that
several statesmen in the present house
Of representatives have qualifications
that will entitle them to membership
10 Mr.. Taft's "Buncombe club"
According to the dispatches of the
past week, the democratic members Of
the ways and can committee sub.
mitted q minority report on the Payne
tariff bill, In which they denounced
the measure az one that twill increase
the cost of living; that is crude, in.
definite, sectional and prohibitive,
and that is az open challenge to q
trade war with every .other natien."
This arrangement fromlmembers OF q
political party thatj has demonstrated
Its incapacity in devising fair and
effective tariffklegislation, certainly
qualities theselcritics for a seat In the
"Buncombe club"
In addition to these democratic
members Of the ways andlmeans com.
mittee, there. are many congressman
Of the same} political faith who en-.
dorse their criticism of the Payne
bill, and who pretend to be opposed
to protective duties in any form. At
the same time they urgeethat a good,
stiff duty upon imported products
that compete with similar articles pro-
duced in their own congressional dis.
tricts, is positively necessary for rev.
enue purposes.
AS the tariff debate proceeds, we
find that democratic congressman from
Louisiana and other sugar producing
States favor a low duty upon almost
everything except sugar: the demo-
cratic members from Alabama resent
removaliof the present duty on iron
Ore, which operates to the adv autage
OF many Of their constituents; the Mis-.
souri, congressman believe that q duty
on zinc products, an important in
dustry Of that state, are absolutely
essential for the salv alton of the
country. And SO it goes, right down
the list. The free trade politician
who processes to be bitterly opposed
to import duties that are not levied
for revenue only, and who d~enouuces
protection q robbery, takes an en-
tirely different view of the natter when
the interests of himself and his politi.
cal supporters are affected.
The attitude of democratic congress.
men in this tariff discussion. however,
may be defended on the ground that
they form the minority party whose
duty it is to criticize and endeavor to
find defects in measures proposed by
their opponents. Their attacks upon
certain features of the Payne bill are
for the most part actuated by q desire
to make political capital for the next
campaign and with q view to fooling
the voters. That IL part of the game
of politics, in which "buncombe" Is
recognized to be a more or less useful
factor.
A perfectly candid and impartial
review of the situation compels the
admission that the qualiic ations
necessary for membership in Presi.
dent Taft's "Buncombe club' are
possessed by certain politicians who
do not belong to the democratic party
but that Is another story.