Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1909-05-28

States and assessed at A cents a
pound and so per cent advalorem as
wearing apparel composed in whole
or in part of wool.
This process in mercerization is ex-
actly like washing your hands-of
course you lose little in weight.
A Challenge to an Expert.
Now | want somebody do not
care who-to stand on this floor and
tell me upon whose expert knowledge
protective tariff of one cent, which
IN many of these cases amounts to
200 per cent and in all of them
amounts to 100 per cent, was put on
this simple process of mercerizing
cloth. | want to see again whose ex-
pert knowledge of weaving and fin
ishing cotton is behind that propo-
sltion. l think l know him; but /
have resolved to bring no more person
allties into this controversy. If, how
ever, these people had contented them
selves with charging a cent on the
mercerization of cloth. | am not GER
tain that l would have been wearying
the senate with this recital here today
But mark the sagacity of these
brethren, not of the committee; l do
not lay these things to their charge.
They are engaged by the aid of hired
experts, in having their own bill ex-
planned to them in and around the
capitol of the United States.
If you will turn to the little sched-
ule Of lead pencils you will find that
group of lead pencil manufacturers,
annoyed by some young German
boys who are trying to make lead
pencils by importing the lead from
foreign countries under the present
rate of duty, have had their present
ad valorem converted into a specific
which when stated in plain terms
amounts to an increase of 700 per
cent or more on the merchandise and
totally wipes out of existence indie
pendent manufacturers of cheap lead
pencils who are selling them to school
children in the United States for a
cent apiece in our market place.
| spoke years ago in the senate
chamber on the subject of the pro-
tective tariff system and the specu-
lative trusts. Very few listened to
what l said, and l never have met any
body since who appeared to have had
any familiarity with the literature
which that speech created. And yet,
it is some satisfaction to me to know
it laid down some broad principles
and some sound principles, and among
them this, that no trust can master
this market place in the present state
of American enterprise and the pres
ent abundance of American capital
without first monOpolizing the raw
material with which business must be
transacted. l have felt ever since
that wise thing for the senate to
do is not to put trust made goods on
the free list, a remedy which would
fall equally upon the just and the I'M
just, and instead of killing the trust,
would be more likely to kill the strug-
Cling competitors and turn the entire
domestic business over to the trust,
or, if not, would sacrifice American
labor, which must be entitled to our
consideration, whatever may be the
Offenses of American capital against
our policy and our laws.
An Impressive Warning.
Therefore | think that we ought to !
take these great materials that lie at .
the basis of our great productive in
dustries, which are mOnOpOlized by
corporations organized for that pur-
pose, and give to the young men of
the United States in the next genera
ton free hand in these matters. 1T
is not possible that all our iron and
steel is to be made by one corporation.
1t is not fair to the next generation,
and it is no improvement on the bust
ness methods of the past. 1t is not
right that any great department of
industry should be brought into one
hand, whether individual or cOrpor-
ate, and therefore | should like to
have the senate study the question of
putting within the reach of the young
men of the United States these great
resources, and say to them, $50 into
these enterprises and wherever you
find yourself constrained in the pur-
chase of your material we will give
you relief" so that in no generation
shall it be said that single corpora
ton owns and controls the basic ma
terials that underlie the industries of |
the American people.
l do not expect however, to get
such a philosophy as that into this
bill. In fact might as we'll confess
it, do not expect to be able to do !
more than to state the case; but I |
warn these men who are among those
responsible for the policy of the re-
publican party that if they desire an
agitation in the United States to be-
gin the day the bill passes and to be |
carried on until these wrongs and in
juries are rectifed, there is no shorter
course to that end than that which
has been pursued in connection with
the measure now before us.