Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1910-08-18
SENATOR ALDR|CH
ANSWERS BR|STOW
Tells Why Tariff On Manufactured
Rubber Was Raised.
HAS NO PECuNIARY INTEREST
The Kansas Senator 10 Referred q
In Very Sarcastic Terms-Hls
AdhereRts Are
Ignorant.

Washington, Aug. Ex-senator Mel
son w. Aldrlch of Rhode Island Issued
a statement denying In their entirety
the charges made by Senator Joseph
L. Brlstow Of Kansas in recent cam
paign speeches dealing with the tarin
on rubber. He referred in caustlt
language to Senator Bristow and what
he terms little group Of men" which
entertain opinions similar to the Kan
san. His answer was Issued despite
his recent statement that he had nc
reply to make to Bristow and never
would have.
The Charges Made.
Brlstow had charged that Aldrich
caused the raising of the tariff on
manufactures Of rubber; that SCOT
after that the Intercontinental Rubber
company, trust, had been formed
with Aldrich and his son holding large
blocks of shares, and as a result Of
the tariff increase the new trust was
able to declare enormous dividends
through its ability to increase prices
Aldrich thus being personally enriched
by his influence as senator In framing
the tariff,
IN the first place, Aldrich declared
the increase from 30 to IS per cent on
a small number of articles OF manu-
featured rubber was for the purpose
of making the tariff uniform on kin
bred articles and facilitating the la
bors Of the customs officers. In that
connection he made public letter to
him from Gen. Thad Sharrotts, .
member Of the New York board OF
general appraisers, asserting that the
change was advisable and had been
agreed to unanimously by the senate
and house committees and by the con
ferees on Tue tariff bill at the earnest
solicitation Of the tarlff experts OF the
treasury department
No Pecuniary Interest.
Laying particular stress on this
charge made by Mr.. Bristow, the chair
man Of the senate finance committee
said that neither he nor any mem
Der of his family has ever had any
pecunlary interest as to whether the
rates on manufactures Of rubber were
30, S5 or 300 per cent, or whether
crude rubber was on the free or duti'
able list"
Dealing then with the charges that
the Intercontinental Rubber company
Of which he is a director, is trust
that It advanced the price OF crude
rubber and controlled the worlds sup
ply, and that the company had paid
enormous dividends, Mr.. Aldrich
treated each separately and at great
length.
without recommending any Issue
concerning the eprogressives" cam
paign generally, Aldrlch referred to
Bristow and his immediate associate
as follows:
an the tariff discussions Of other
days the advocates Of the protective
policy have usually been called to
meet in debate men with convictions
on the subject-Democrats OF char
acter, whose theories Of government
differed completely from those held BY
Republican protectionists, men who
had some regard for accuracy Of theil
statements and some knowledge Of
the subjects they discussed.
Misrepresentation and lgnoranee'
Nov attacks upon a Republican
president and Republican measure are
led By men whose political existence
depends upon their capacity-and to
this there seems to be no hmit-foi
Misrepresentation and the Ignorance
Of their sdherents Strangely enough
this little group Of men-very small
IN numbor-has srTogated to Itself the
Ieadsrship Of the progressiyei and y.
members prats about the treatment o.
ne tariff A. = moral question: