Evening star., 1909-06-21
Mr.. Warren Makes Charges on
Floor of the Senate.
ACCUSES LEATHER TRUST
Action in Securing Names to Pc
titions open to Criticism.
DUTY A BENEFIT TO FARMER
Free Raw Material Death Knell to
Protection-Senator Carter
Speaks Along Same Lines.

Senator Warren of Wyoming on
the floor OF the Senate this morning
made the positive charge that the
outcry in favor OF free hides Is
chiefly due to the activity OF the
Central Leather Company. which he
called the great leather trust He made
this statement in reply to the charge by
the advocates OF free hides that the beef
trust is the chief beneficiary of the duty
of II per cent which the finance commit
tee proposes to retain on hides.
Mr.. Warren went so far as to assert
that the leather trust sent men all
through the west to secure petitions in
did not represent the sentiment OF the
communities from which they came Many
Of the names on these petitions. he said.
were signed in the same handwriting.
Open to Severe Criticism.
Men representing the leather trust
would stop off between trains. he de-
clared and get names in a way that was
at least open to severe criticism. State
ments have been made by this trust Mr.
Warren charged. that the trust never ex-
pected to have to substantiate and which
will not hold water He quoted from the
Roosevelt reply TO Gov. Douglas of Mas
sachusetts. when Mr.. Douglas demanded
that President Roosevelt send 10 Con-
gress a message urging the removal Of
the duty on hides. and claimed that IL was
curse" on New England. Mr. Roose-
velt he said. refused TO send any such
message on the ground that there were
other parts of the country involved in
such action. and he must consider the
matter carefully.
Compliments Mr.. Roosevelt
THAT was the decision of fair and a
statesmanlike man." Mr. Warren de-
clared, ''and man who can poll more
votes in this country than any living
man."
He denied that the duty of IL per cent
on hides was curse to New England.
and strongly intmated that Gov. Douglas
representative leather manufacturing in
terests and not the majority of the people
of the New England states. He said
free hides are kind of hysteria in New
England among some people. and
charged that the fad had no basis in
reason.
Continuing his advocacy of a tariff on
hides. Senator Warren declared the Sem
ate had been injured and insulted' by
the man who. in seeking free hides had
declared that the duty on hides had been
put in the Dingley bill by some mid
night" process. He proceeded to present
facts intended to show the value of the
hide and to prove that a duty on that
part of the bovine would be of material
benefit to the farmer
Death Knell to Protection.
The time must come to an end" Mr..
Warren declared. when an oligarchy OF
manufacturers shall say the finished
product Of the farmer shall be free and
the finished product of the manufactur-
ers shall be taxed"
Free raw material. he said. would be
the death knell to protection until. there
had been a new alignment of the pro-
tective forces.
Senator Warren spoke for more than
three hours against free hides 1t was
very warm in the Senate chamber. and
during most Of the time II was deserted
except for a few senators who were
brave enough to face the heat. Most of
the senators went out into the cloak
rooms and ensconced themselves in easy
chairs. 1t was largely on this account.
perhaps. that Mr.. Warren was not inter-
cluded. however. Senator Page of Ver-
mont asked regarding the manufacture of
shoes, which brought out replies TO the
effect that the duty of 15 per cent could.
one way or the other on the shoe busi-
ness. of which hides are the raw ma
terial.
Views Of Senator Carter.
Senator Carter of Montana followed
Mr.. Warren in a speech also in favor OF
the duty on hides. He severely criticised
Senator Lodge of Massachusetts for his
speech last week for no duty on that ar
ticle.
Why" declared Mr.. Carter. ''the west
ern farmer has to use articles that are
protected. The shoes that he wears. the
harness that he uses and even the knife
with which he slaughters his beef are all
protected; and yet the senator from Mass
achusetts wants to take the duty or the
hides which the farmer produces. not TO
increase wages to the laborer, but merely
swell the already enormous profits OF the
greatest leather trust the world has ever
known"
IF a confidence man at circus ever
presented a less plausible proposition TO
a farmer than that, Mr.. Carter de-
clared, referring to the attitude of the
senators who favor free hides. ''he cer-
tainly was wanting in wit
Never before has the farmers intelli-
gence been so discounted" he continued.
He is told. first, that the duty does him
no good, and therefore 1t will be taken
off.
Then he is told the duty will be left on
leather, on shoes and on harness. for the
benefit of the manufacturers. He Is fur
ther told he is to buy in the protected
market and sell in open markets OF the
world the things he has to sell"
If, Mr. Carter declared with vehemence,
the farmer is to sell in the open markets
then he will demand that he be allowed
20 h,,xy to fhn hoo lrlya