Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-10-12
SPECIAL WASHINGTON &C
REsPoNDENcE.
COR.
BY CLYDE H. IaNenner.


This action has raised in the minds
of many the following query: Did the
fact that these men hoped for early
pardons deter them from fully ex-
posing the men higher up?
BY placing steel springs i'm seven
teen pairs of scales. the trust robbed
into whose pockets the $4,000, 900
900, and after being exposed admitted
the crime by returning the plumber.
The secretary and few minor en-
ployes were sent to prison, and four
of them have now been pardoned.
The multi-millionarie sugar barons
into whose pockets the 100000
would have gone had not the cheat
been discovered, have SO far gone
scot free.
Democrats, and progressive republic
cans sought in the last congress TO
bring about a Congressional investiga-
ton of this fraud, believing it ride
ulous for the administration to as
sumo that few SIS week sugar
weighers would steal $2,O00,00O for
someone else and lay themselves H.
able to penitentiary sentences, url-
less they had been bribed by the
men or agents of the men who Woulo
secure the proceeds of the fraud.
President Taft himself, prevented
the Congressional investigation by
recommending against it in his an
nual message to Congress. He took
the view probe might give i'm
munity" ITO the men higher up.
Rep. Henry T. Rainey of Illinois
lied the fight for the probe of the
|swindle, contending that instead O.
assuring Immunity" for the biz
thieves, an investigation would onl,
bring out their identity.
j 1t developed that the President rec
commended against investigation upol
the advice of United States Attorne!
General George G.. Wickersham. Mr.
u Wfckersham was particularly quail
] fled to give the President advice il
matters pertaining ito the sugar trust
[ AIT the time of his appointment to thu
!; office of attorney general position
/ which places him in absolute charg'
J o. the prosecutions of trusts-he wa
sugar trust attorney.
Mr.. Wickersham and Henry W
Taft, brother of President Taft, wer
members of the firm Of Strang' 1
Cadwallader of New York. For sci
vices rendered the sugar trust Al
torney Henry w. Taft received SIS
$50, which he turned over to Stroni
& Cadwallader, and the last thin
Mr.. Wickersham did before startin'
into represent the people was 7
draw down and pocket his share o
the sugar trust fee.
Nine resolutions providing for a
investigation of the sugar trust wer
introduced in the last session o
Congress. But the sugar trust hal
pens to be friend and ally Gals
star campaign fund contributor G
the republican party, and therefore
is needless ITO record that each Q
!, the resolutions were smothered t
death in committees.
Wastefulness of Protection
: The wastefulness OF taxes collecte'
! from the people under the tariff law
is not one of the least vicious feat
ures of protection.
j, American customs duties have ne
cessitated a gigantic army of Off
cials, have increased the price Of e1
erything and have added enormousl
to the expenses of the government.
The country is divided into 16
districts and ports for the collection
CT duties, OF these the expenses il
forty are greater than the receipts
the cost Of collection ranging, TO
every dollar collected, from $1.5S t
$SO9.41.
i In the Alexandria, Va, district
the government spent s1,224 to col
| lact $40.
In the Annapolis, Md, district, i
cost 1856 to collect $500.
i In the st. Mary's, Ca, district,
cos. $693 to collect $15.25.
In the Coos Bay, Ore, district, i
cost 81. AGA to collect 1881.
And this years report of the sec
rotary of the treasury is mot as ba'
as last years, which showed that il
one instance the government ha'
paid two men s1,10O to collect g.
cents.
The President is Slightly in Error.
In his speech at the Republican
National League dinner in New York
President Taft said: "Our democrat
ic friends are saying that if tht
Democratic party came into power I
would reduce the expenses Of thi:
government 100000, 0O0.'
1t would seem that Mr.. .Taft's quar-
re. is rightly, not with the democrats
but with Nelson w. Aldrich, the Re
publican chairman of the Finance
committee of the Republican senate
IN. was Senator Aldrich who STATED
Gil the floor of the senate that {
business man could rum the govern
{ ment $SOO,OoO,OOo cheaper than it il
now being run.
Railroads Are Greedy.
The railroads of the country, act
ing together, are contending befor'
the interstate commerce commission
that they should be allowed to rails
their freight rates so that they ma.
co%ec. an additional s50O,0OO,O 900 fror
the public each year.
The railroads aver the advance
rates are necessary because increas
= ed wages being paid trainmen an
other increases in operating costs
Z This contention ;c MT ho,,,,a n,,i