The daily sentinel., 1910-08-02
MORE INSIDE
INFORMATION
FROM WASHINGTON

[By Clyde Il. Tavenner. Stan Wash
ington correspondent of The
Sentinel
Washington. Aug. Protection
makes politics business proposition
In the last congressional election
for instance. the tariff trusts spent
large sums of money to bring about
the election of candidates who had
secretly or otherwise pledged them
selves to revision upward.
These contributions to the repub-
liCan campaign fund were invest
ments in every sense of the word
The trusts figured that. if republicans
were elected, the tariff on the partic-
ular commodities in which they dealt
would be sufficiently high to bar out
competition and assure them monup-
olies on American markets.
With this end in view the tariff
trusts and combinations OF manufac-
turers contributed literally to repub-
lican campaign funds.
The expenditure of this tainted
money enabled the republicans to
dominate congress. The tarin was
revised upward. The manufacturers
were given their monopoIies. Prices
We're boosted.
The result is that the people are
now repaying to the tariff trusts. in
increased prices. not only the amount
invested as contributions to the re-
publican campaign fund but they are
also paying profit varying from
100 to 1000 per cent beside.
And in the meantime the big cor
porte interests have taken the reigns
of government out of the hands OF
the people, into their own. for safe
keeping. Such is the milk in the
protection COCuanut.
Government hy Money.
1t cost Joseph c. Sibley SIO,6gS.S3
to win the republican nomination for
congress in the twenty-eight district
of Pennsylvania. Mr. Sibley received
| l0,i46 votes at the primaries. and
each vote represented an expenditure
of nearly 81. As his plurality was
only $50 1t is fair to say that his
nomination was brought about by the
| sheer power OF money.
AT the primaries in the thirteenth
district of Pennsylvania John DalZell
spent $500. most of which was con-
tributed by protected manufacturers
The combined expenditures of Sibley
and Dalzell in these two districts
ed salaries as representatives in CON
gress for two years will be only $3O,-
| 0O0. Their nominations, therefore,
| cost almost 100000 more than the
emoluments of their office, exclusive
of mileage and stationary allowances.
Contributions to the party of re-
vision upward is a paying business
| investment, particularly to the tariff
| trusts.
Men will always pay thousands to
| politicians or to party funds in the
| hope of getting back millions. Make
the tariff one for revenue only, and
| you cut off a leading cause of poll
| tical dishonesty and corruption.
The Democratic Campaign.
The democrats need gain but twen-
! ty-two seats in the next house of
representatives to obtain numerical
majority.
The present republican majority is
| forty-three. AT least eighteen repub-
| licans hold their seats by margin
less than l 900 votes.
Twenty-nine republican seats in
the present house of representatives
are held by less than 1000 votes.
Every local democratic committee
has heavy responsibility. The char
acter of the nominee in every district
is supremely important. Democracy
can not challenge the enemy with
weak or colorless candidates. The
people want absolute assurance that
the men they vote for will stand four
square when the first real test comes
in organizing the next congress.
Democratic candidates must stand
on an equivocal platform of real tar
iff revision.
The democratic party, through both
national and local organizations. must
be prepared to shoulder full RESPONSE
bility for removing tariff burdens
from the people.
The democrats have a real issue to
carry them to victory, and can lose
only by failure to grasp its slgnifi
canoe.
Taft Won't Interfere.
The new railroad rate law will not
be used to keep down railroad rates.
Correspondents at the summer cap
| ital at Beverly. Mass, recently got
this news. 1t means that the strong
est feature of the new railway law is
to be a dead letter under the Taft
administration.
The section of law referred to is
that giving power to the interstate
commerce commission, on complaint
against an increase, to suspend any
freight rate for eleven months pend
ing decision as TO the justice of the
rate. This section was forced into
the law by the democrats and insurg-
ents and was strongly opposed by
President Taft and the Aldrich-Can
non regulars.
Being hostile to this feature of the
new law. President Taft will not use
1t to prevent the railroads from in
craacinp thair rates