The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1910-04-27
On Attorney General Wiekershan For
Helping the Bears Out.
HE ENTRAPS ALORICH
senator Smith Makes Him Admit
Tha: the Tariff Law Is the Cause
Of the High Prices and Discusses
the Action Of the Government in
the Cotton Cases.
the Cotton Cases.

Senator Smith Wednesday turned
loose his dogs Of war on the a:tor-
ner general for prosecuting the cot
ton men. Brown. Hayne. Scales and
,thers. says Zach McGhee. in his.
Washington letter to the Columbia
State
The immediate question up was
whether or not the senate should
vote $S5.000 for further inrestiga-
zion Of the high prices Of the neces-
saries OF lie. Senator Smith said
tnat he had been in favor OF this
investigation at first. but that now
the thing had taken such peculiar
surn that he believed 10 good could
be accomplished. This brought him
into immediate conflict with Senator
Aidricn and there was an interesting
little tilt
do understand" asked Mr. Al
5rich. that the senator was in favor
Ct this investigation at frs. but tha.
now the attorney general is inyesti-
eating the wrng trust."
That seemed to put Mr.. Smith in
to hole. for while the contention
has been for lower prices. here was
South Carolina senator coming out
in favor Of higher prices. But Nr.
Smith in turn put Mr.. Aldrich into
hole. Mr. Aldrich said that he
wanted an investigation to see wheth-
er the tariff was the cause OF the
high cost OF living.
Does not the senator believe .ha.
the tariff is the cause OF the high
prices?" asked Mr. Smith.
II believe that the tariff causes
prosperity" replied Mr.. Aldrich.
But you also have said that pros
perity causes high prices, have you
not?" said Mr. Smith.
Mr. Aldrich admitted that.
Prosperity causes high prices. and
the tariff causes prosperity" said
NJ. Smith.
Unfortunately the gravel fell just
:aere. the time being up. But Mr..
Aldrich was made to admi. as TO
Republican had before admitted that
the tariff is the cause OF high prices.
Senator Smith In his speech de-
clared that the department cf justice
had allowed the beef trust. the s:ee!
trust. the ones who had cornered
the whea: OF the country putting up
the price OF bread 10 go on without
prosecution. but that now when the
farmers Of the South by a natural
monopoly and by shortage Of the
crop were gettins high price fo-
their cotton. the department OF JUS
tice was singing out this staple az
a subject for prosecution.
Il venture the assertion he de-
clared. that Browr. Hayne. Scales.
Patten. and the others do not hold
5000 bales of cotton. But cotton
spectators in New York have sold
hundreds OF thousands Of bales
which they have never had. and now
when they try to buy them at q low
er price than the figure at which
they sod. the farmers OF tee South.
either have cot the cotton or will
no, sell at the fgrres offered. These
men supposed that the South would
20 as she has always done. put their
cotton on the market at whatever
price they could get for it,
Several times in his speech. Mr.
Smith referred to the elections in
,Eew York and Massachusetts, and
reminded the Republicans that the
"erdict was going against them. He
said It was on account Of just such
behavior as that CT which the at
torney general was now guilty. N
singing out the South for attack in
stead OF enforcing the law against
the other combines. He admitted.
with considerable emphasis. that he
had tried to organize the Southern
.armers into a combination. Per
haps you had better Investigate be-.
he declared.