The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1910-08-02
A Senator's Private Graft.

THUS charges against senator
Alorich, the standpat senate lea
der. the charges being substan-
TALLY as follows:
That under the Dinglcy law
there was a 80 per cent, duty on
manufactures Of rubber, and
crude rubber was free: that the
present tariff law passed the
House without any change in the
duty on either crude or manufac-
tured rubber; that Mr.. Aldrich' s
Senate committee increased the
duty on manufactured rubber
from 30 to 80 per cent; that dur.
ing the session Immediately
after adjournment, he, in con-
nection with the Guggenheims
and Ryan, organized a rubber
trust known as the 1nter-Conti-
mental Rubber company, with
$40, 600, 600 capital stocki that
Mr., Aldrich's son heeame vice
president and general manager
of the company; that immediate
IL there were large advances in
the price of rubber, and that
during the first three months of
the existence of this trust it paid
dividends aggregating 1872 per
cent on the preferred stock.
Senator Aldrich was shown a
copy of Senator Bristow's speech
by a New York newspaper and
asked for a statement in his de-
Tense, Senator Aldrich refused
to make any comment on the
charges.
Buta 'dignifed indifference"
Is not going to do. Unfortunate
ly for the honor of Senator AL
drich. the Bristow charges seem
to be substantially borne out by
the facts. There can be no de-
NAL Of the increase in the duty
on manufactured rubber by the
Payne-Aldrich bill, and the rec
ords show Senator Aldrich and
ms son, as well as Senator Guoo-
enheim Of Colorado, to be large
stockholders in the Inter-Conti-
nental-Rubber Company, the
rubber trust. Immediately af-
ter the Payne-Aldrich bill was
signed by the president, the
price of rubber was advanced
and the dividends referred to by
Senator Bristow were paid.
The Kansas statesman calls the
manipulation of the rubber
schedule "a legislative crime, -
and sthe words are none too
strong Though the offence
may not be legally indictable.
there is certainly moral turpi-
tude in the manipulation of legis-
lation by United States sena-
tor for his own personal profit
We cannot see that it is anv
less Objectionable than highway
robbery or sneak thieving. But
legislation for personal profit is
the logical outcome of the Re-
publican policy of legislation for
the special interests
However congress cannot af-
ford to rest quiescient under the
charge of one of its own members
that United States senators man
ipulated the tariff bill for their
own 'personal profit. Senator
Aldrich's sense of honor may be
so cahoused by long and faithful
service to the special interest
that he is content to let the
charge remain unanswered. but
unless the majority Of senate
members are tarred with the
same personal profit stick
they must, in Justice to themsel-
YES demand an investigation Of
the Bristow charges.
With scores of years Of Eng
bsh oppression of the Emerald
Isle fresh i'm memory. it was not
to be expected that Irishmen
would approve Colonel Roose-
velts Guild Hall speech In which
he advised England to adopt a
policy of similar cruelty toward
Egypt President Matthew Cum
mings, of the Ancient Order of
llibernians, ina speech at the
convention of the order at Port
land Orc. the other day de
nounced the Guild Hall utter
ances of the Sage of Sycamore