The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-27
A DIscRED1TED COMBINE.


1t seems that Senator A1drich-wltl
Smoot-has been guilty Of anothe
mistake. d" Flo made certain state
ments to the Senate about tho produc
tion Of and duties upon paper pulp
which Mr.. John Norris says arc "grav'
errors Of fact'' Mr.. Norris is The
chairman Of the committee representing
the newspaper publishers in their eff
forts TO secure lower duties on pull
paper. In his letter to Senator Aid
rich, Mr., Norris cnumcrates sixteen oi
these "gravo errors Of fact one ot
these being that whereas Mr.. Aldricf
said there had been no advance in pa
per prices. the fact is that the actual
advance in paper prices aggregated
S5,000,000 per annum to May, 1908.
All Of which is certainly n severe blow
| TO Senator Aldrich as an authority, and
to his prestige as stating candid truth
And this calling Of Senator Aldrich
10 account recalls his shocking fall
when he dealt with the memorandum
supplied by the German Government as
to wages in Germany, Never before.
probably, in the history of the country
was such a gross official discourtcsy
exhibited toward friendly nation as
Aldrich and his committee displayed on
that occasion, against the German
government Lest il may have been
forgotten, we reproduce here the Spring
field (Mass.) Republicans summary of
the incident, as follows:
AS was apparent at the time OF Scna-
tor Aldrich's ill-manncred remarks on
German "impertinence," the correspond
ence now sent to the Senate shows that
tho German government "interfered IN
our tariff proceedings only at tho express
request OF the American State Depart
ment. Nearly year ago the State De-
partment, at the request OF Chairman
Payne Of the House Ways and Means
Committee, sent circular letter to the
consuls abroad asking that information
be sought on the costs OF production in
the several countries. We were then 10
have Il tariff revision To the level OF the
difference In such costs between the
United States and abroad. In Germany
some OF the consuls tried 10 get such In
formation through the chambers OF COM
merce, but were told that any such in
quirles should be made through diplo-
matte channels. The chambers OF COM
merce did not want 10 be drawn into the
matter. Then, on instructions from the
Acting Secretary Of State at Washington.
the American Embassador at Berlin
asked the German foreign office to
sist, and the government itself then
undertook TO get some reports or data
from the chambers of commerce, which
We're duly forwarded TO Washington.
They did not reach Congress until the
Senate Finance Committee was nearly
ready 70 report the revised Payne tarift
Dill, and were then. as later appeared,
tossed aside as an "impertinence." The
idea OF revising the tariff on a basis of
difference In costs OF production had long
since evidently been abandoned. Consid-
ering the above facts, II requires pretty
severe words properly to characterize Mr..
Aldrich's remarks when the matter came
up in the Senate.
That is enough to cause every Amer
lean cheek to mantle with shame 1t
was discourtesy so gross, so wholly
inexcusable that we would hardly have
thought it possible among civilized men.
And that, with the general course of
Senator Aldrich in subverting the whole
tariff question TO the petty local in
terests of the New England manufac-
turers, lustifies the Chicago Record
Herald. a good Republican newspaper,
IN arraigning the whole Finance Com
mittee Of the Senate. with the combine
which it has formed, in this excori.
ating fashion:
There are persons who are well aware
that they are tricksters and cheats. but
Few OF them like TO hear themselves so
described. To them there is much vir-
tue tue in the supposed ancient doctrine,
libel The Aldrich combine does not
relish the frequent use OF the terms
"trickery" and Juggling by the pro-
Sressives in their speeches on the tariff
schedules. The rule OF the august SEN
ate against personal illusions has been
invoked By one of the cnraCed bourbons
The progressives may have TO employ
ate, but their constituents know Of no
reason why, outside, trlckcry should not
be called trickery The, Aldrich combine
should read the comments OF the Repub-
daily performances. Trickery is the mild |
est term applied TO the methods whereby
votes have been forced without inforra-
tlon 1okers inserted TO deceive the UNI
supDlstlcated increases Dalmed off as
modlhcations.' and greedy extortion dis
sulsed as protection needed to cqualiZe
differences in cost
AS TO the solicitude OF the AldrJch com
oine regarding the political future of the
one does not know whether
Lo IauEn or swear al 1t, Is IT PiclSWickian
pr pr pecRiSnii9an? Si The progressives' names
they stand for honor, intelligence. cour |
age and loyalty TO principle The stand |
patters are doing their utmost TO endan-
ger the future OF their party vet tbn,,
profess To be anxious about the kind of |
explanations which the splendid and ad- |
nircd minority OF insurgents who arc !
5I 55nue@EoIihS 10 save The party and re- |
leem its pledges, will offer 10 the people |
The fact is, that the Aldrich com
bine, In repudiating President Taft IS !
campaign pledges, and cutting the
tariff question to the New England |
measure, has become thoroughly dis.
credited before the country, and is the
worst foe the Republican party has TO
face.