The Monroe journal., 1910-08-23
WHY TEDDY WAS TURNED
DOWN.

Let Roosevelt be Temporary
Chairman Of New York State
Convention Because HE is an In
surgent.
Correspondence Of The Journal.
Washington, Aug. 20 The Amer
lean people will recall that Senator
Henry Cabot Lodges price-investi-
eating committee found that no part
of the IS per cent. increase in the
cost Of living in this country in the
last 10 years was due to the tariff.
Political economists all over the land
were sorely puzzled at this report.
The phenomenon can now be ex-
planned. The report of the minority
Of the committee, recently published,
shows that the Republicans made no
serious attempt to ascertain whether
the tariff was responsible or not.
Listen to this extract from the mi
nority report:
''In examining the witnesses we
the committed scarcely touched up
on the territory of the highly pro-
tected commodities"
Lodge, who helped frame the
Payne Aldrich bill and takes the po-
sition that the ultimate consumer is
myth, saw to it that the investiga-
tons were confined almost exclu-
sively to foodstuffs and cotton, and
to the production, distribution and
cost TO the consumer of wheat, corn,
beef, mutton and hog products, Of
which commodities the United States
produces a large per cent. Of the
worlds production, and which we
export in enormous quantities. As
to these articles it may be supposed
that, when freed from the influence
Of trusts and monopolies, the tariff
should not cut a large figure except
that it increases the cost Of their
production.
Do you see the point, Mr.. Consul
mer? Lodge had been assigned by
Senator Aldrich to make a report,
obviously for campaign purposes,
which would absolve the tariff from
all blame in connection with the aw-
full increase in the cost Of living I'M
der our system Of excessive protec-
ton. Lodge evidently concluded
that the safest way to accomplish
this end would be to avoid asking
any questions of witnesses concern
corning the advances in the prices Of
highly protected articles, such as
the products of the sugar trust, the
steel trust, the harvester trust and
the lumber trust, all Of which con-
tribute heavily to the Republican
campaign fund.
The Lodge report gave fifteen rea-
sons tor increased prices, and found
that the tariff was mo material fac
tor" This report is being used by
the men who voted for the Payne
Aldrich bill in the hope it will pre-
vent them from being retired to pri-
vate life.
Tariff increases Prices.
Senator's Johnston Of Alabama,
Clarke of Arkansas, and Smith of
South Carolina, the minority mem
bers Of the Lodge committee, find
that the three substantial causes for
increased prices are:
|. Tariff.
2. Trusts, combines and monopo-
lies.
3. Increased money supply.
Owing to the tactics Of the Repub-
licans in avoiding highly protected
articles, the minority members found
themselves without sufficient data to
to apportion the degree of response
bility between these three causes
but state that the two first are the
chief malefactors we have no doubt;
and they are Of our own creation or
permission.
A Campaign Canard.
"Taft will no longer cooperate
with Cannon and Aldrich, and Bal
linger is to be retired"
This is the gist Of statements car
ried by the Associated Press, and
obviously inspired by Republican
campaign managers.
The information may be accepted
as nothing more than a ruse. The
Republican campaign managers
played the same trick on the public
in the last presidential election. The
rumor was quietly started that Can
didate Taft did not approve of
Speaker Cannon. The inference was
strong that Taft would not stand for
Cannon as Speaker. This false ru-
NOR Enthusiastically helped Taft in
the insurgent districts.
Immediately after Taft was inau-
gurated an attempt was made to de-