Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-03
ALpRicA's CAST IRON coMBINA-
TON coMPELs SENATORS
TO SELL THEIR VOTES.
AID TO LOCAL INDUSTRIES
USED AS EFFECTIVE CLUB
Senator'S Constituents Demand Protee.
ton for Home Products and They
Must Vote With AIdrich in Order
to Get It-Joker Discovered That
Puts Tax on Tea.
Especial Correspondence

Especial correspondence
Neutrality-suspicious. 3.-The methods
by which the cast iron combination
under Senator Aldrich's lead is ruling
the senate these days is illustrated to
perfection in the results of the fights
for lower duties on sugar and lemons.
After the vote on sugar had resulted
in the expected vote for Senator Aid
rich, senator who had voted with the
winners said:
Don't imagine that 1 liked to do it.
was convinced that the Dutch
standard of color ought to be stricken
out of the law. 1 have no doubt of it,
and think it will yet go out, one of
these days; but not during this revis-
ion. l would have voted for the BriS
tow motion if my hands hadn't been
tied.
But am here representing my peo-
pie. A senator has to be a sort of bus
mess agent of his constituents; and
my state has a half dozen industries
which absolutely demand the things
we are getting in this bill. l believe it
is true that to strike out the color test
of sugar would not injure my beet SUI
gar people. But the fact is that mil
lions are being invested in the state,
and many thousands of farmers are
deeply concerned and enthusiastic
about the future of the business; and
they-the sugar people and the farm
ers aiike-believe that this standard is
necessary to them. l couldn't my
self. 1t has been necessary on a good
many things for me to vote against my
wishes and my convictions, in order
to take care of the people at home
That same senator voted for the
higher duty on lemons; and he did it
for the same reason the combination
Which was looking after the home in
terests of the insiders has lemons on its
list. The California people demanded
it, and had to have it. There was
good deal of the feeling which Senator
Root voiced about the lemon duty; and
a good deal of it was entertained, too,
by senator's who nevertheless voted
for the higher duty. Neither sugar
nor lemons could possibly have won
but for this combination, according to
men who are intimate with the work
lngs of the management in the sem
ate.
Among the men who have thus been
forced, time and again, to vote against
their wishes, there is increasing disaf-
lection, and it Will have it's effect next
session, when they will be free to
break away from the organization. 1t
is not clear at this time how the lead
ers are to organize combination
which will prevent some radical legis-
lation to pass next winter, affecting
corporations. transportation, inter-
state commerce, and related subjects
On the other hand the students of the
situation think that the Rhode Islander
will lose his hold on the situation. But
today it is firm
That there is already adopted into
the tariff bill modest little joker
which will serve to impose cents per
pound tax on a large share of the ia
pan tea coming into this country, is
charged by the students of that mea-
sure.
More than this, it is alleged that this
joker was inserted in the metal sched-
ule, but that it hits tea.
1t is claimed that it will have the eff
feet of either increasing the price of
the better teas directly, or else of Civ
ing monopoly of the tea trade to a
few great importing interests, and
driving great number of small and
competing importers out of the bust
ness.
Tea merchants all over the country
have recently discovered this alleged
joker, and their protests are now COM
ing every day. Their representatives
and senators have been looking into
the matter, in the effort to learn how
bad is the situation, and what can be
done about it.
In the metal schedule was inserted
an item imposing a duty of 5 cents per
pound on metallic Containers" plain
or ornamental. Nobody dreamed that
this was means to tax tea. But the
tea people explain that the japanese
have in recent years been in the way
OF putting up their tea in very attrac-
tive japanned containers, with hand
that the tea thus packed is preserved
much better on the ocean voyage and
in stores and warehouses, and the
taste for the superior article has es-
tablished great business in this line
of goods. Now, the explanation goes
the effect of this duty on metallic con-
tainers will be to tax, not only the
Econtainer, but also the contents as we'll
which means 3 cents on every pound OF
tea thus packed.
Whether it is an inadvertence, OF
whether it is a clever trick to give a
monopoly to big importing concerns
which are able, by reason of their i'm
mense business, to import the tea ir
bulk and afterward pack it in this
pleasing fashion nobody is disposed tt
cidedly think it is trick of certain
importing houses, to get control of the
whole importation Of the choicel
grades of tea. An effort will be made
either to change this provision or else
to add to it a proviso that the contents
of such containers shall be taxed, no
on the rates fixed on the containers
1 but at the regular rates for such con.
tents.
The enthusiasm with which Vic,
Admiral Baron Sotokichi Uriu, of tht
Japanese navy, and his wife, hav,
been'received.an entertained in Wash.
ington. Is. certainly suggestive Of any.
thing except the existence of uncom.
foftable lrAlat ions. between this countr,
and Japan. The. distinguished Japan