Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-08-12
RITES TO W. B, MKNLEY
Pays Respects in Csustic Language
to Little Group"
ARE absurd MIssTATEMENTs"
Persistent Reiteration of Charges
Compelled Full Statement.
TARIFF WAS MADE UNIFORM
Says Neither lie Nor Any Member OF
His Family Has Ever l.ad Pecu-
MARY Interest in Rubber
Rates.

Rates.
WASHINGTON, ug. ll-senator Nell.
son w. Aldrich OF Rhode Island enumer-
a..ng the counts under which h ewas in
dicted by Senator Joseph w. Bristow of
Kansas in recent campaign speeches deal
ing with the tariff on rubber in letter
made public tonight, denies the charges
in their entirety.
incidentally he pays his respects in
caustic language to Senator Bristow and
what he terms little group OF men"
which entertain opinions similar to those
of the Kansan.
The letter is addressed to William b.
Mckinley of Illinois. chairman of the re-
publican congressional committee and
was sent to the headquarters of the COM
mittee in this ci y. The explanation of
the rubber duties and the denial of the
charges made against him by Senator
Brstow are based upon the fact that
Senator Aldrich was called upon by a re-
publican candidate for congress to fur
nish the facts connected with the changes
made IN the recent tariff act.
Referring to the charges made by Sem
ator Bristow as "apsurd misstatements,"
Senator Aldrich said the persistent reit-
Grafton of TEN impelled him o make q
full statement. At the outset of his long
letter the senator divided the speeches
by Mr.. Bristow into five parts each of
wiIch contained a specific charge. He
then dealt with them in order.
In the first place the senator declared
| the increase from 55 TO 80 per cent on a
small number of articles of manufactured
rubber articles was for the purpose of max
ing the tariff uniform on kindred articles
and for tightening the labors of the customs
officers,
Makes letter Public.
In that connection he made public letter
to him from General Thad s Sharretts, a
member of the New York Board of General
Appraisers, asserting that the change was
advisable and had been agreed to unanl-
mously by the senate and house committees
and by the conferees ON the tariff bill at
the earnest solicitation of the tariff experts
of the Treasury department
| Laying particular stress upon this charge
made by Mr.. Brustow. the chairman of the
senate finance committee said that neither
he nor any member of his family has ever
had any pecuniary interest as to whether
the rates on manufactures of rubber were
30, 80 or 300 per cent, or whether crude rub
Der was on the free or dutlable list"
Dealing with charges that the Intercontl-
| mental Rubber company, OF which he is a
| director is a trust, taht it advanced the
price of crude rubber and controlled the
worlds supply. and that the company had
paid enormous dividends, Mr. Aldrich
treated each separately and at great length.
Without raising any issue concerning the
''progressives'' campaign generally, Mr.. AL
drich referred to Mr.. Bristow and his i'm
mediate associates as follows:
I'm the tariff discussions of other DAYS
the advocates Of the protective policy usu-
] al hfa IN fY,
men with convictions on the subject-demo-
Gratis of character, whose theories of gov
ernment differed completely from those
held by republican proteotonists--men who
had some regard for the accuracy of their
statements and some knowledge o fthe
subjects they discussed.
Attacks Enemies of Tariff.
Now attacks upon a republican president
and republican measures are led by men
whose political existence depends upon their
capaclty-and to this there seems to be no
limt-for Misrepresentation and the ignor-
ance of their adherents. Strangely enough,
this little group OF men-very small in num-
ber-has arrogated to itself the leadership
of the progressives, and Its members prate
about the treatment of the tariff as moral
question"
The letter follows:
Il PROVIDENCE r. l., Aug. 10. 191O--
Hon. William b. Mckinley, Chairman Re
publican Congressional Committee, Wash
ington, ID. C.--Dear Mr.. Mckinley: 1 have
been asked by a republican candidate for
congress in an Illinois district to furnish
him the facts with reference to the charges
In the rubber duties In the tariff act Of
1909.
The persistent reiteration of the absurd
misstatements of Senator Bristow with
reference to the tariff on rubber furnishes
such a characteristics illustration of the
nature Of the criticisms and the character
of certain critics Of the tariff act of 1903
that It seems to me desirable that a full
statement OF the facts should be made In
response to this inquiry.
|, List of BrIstOw's Charges.
Senator Bristow's statements were as
follows:
Il. That the senate committee on finance,
of which 1 was chairman, Increased the
duty upon certain manufactutes Of rubber
from 80 to S5 per cent
''2. That during the session, or immcdi-
ately after the adjournment Of congress,
l, in connection with others had organized
gigantic rubber trust known as the In
terconunental Rubber company in which 1
was a large stockholder and director.
'3, That this huge rubber trust immedi-
ately advanced largely the price Of crude
rubber, the supply OF which 1t absolutely
controls.
"a. That this vast rubber monopoly, the
Intorcontnentai Rubber company, was able
on account of the changes In the tariff
reform, TO advance-and did adyancethe
price OF every rubber product from auto
mobile tires TO babies rattles.'
IS. That the increase IN the rate on rub
Der manufacturers from 20 10 35 per cent
enabled the Intereontlnental Rubber COM
pany TO realize immense, enormous profits
as shown by the large dividend 1t has paid
I'm the early months OF the presez2 year.
and the increase in rates wac brought
about with this end in view"
some statements True.
1T Is true that an Increase In the rates
tnnL nlncn In M nrra nh lGa ,.,hlnh IncIrihaA