The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-05-25
Washington Letter.

| Congressman Ralph w. Moss, Of
Indiana, a farmer himself, and one
of the best friends of the agricul-
turists occupying seat in the halls
of Congress, established this fact be-
yond successful contradiction in a
strong speech delivered on the floor
of the House. Mr. Moss cinched his
point by presenting the actual res
olutions in which the great organi-
cations of farmers pledged them
selves to work for reciprocity.
'The great national movement
among the farmers of the United
States to advance reciprocal legis-
lation began" said Mr.. Moss, with
a meeting held in the Grand Pacific
hotel in Chicago in 1905. There
were present at the meeting dele
gates representing the National Live
Stock association, American Short
Horn association, Nation Live Stock
Exchange, Millers' National FEEDER
alton, and other great producing and
exporting interests.
1T was decided to hold national
conference to advance reciprocal
tariff legislation. Alvin H. Saunders
was chosen as the leader of the
movement. Who is A. H. Saunders?
He is a member of the tariff board
appointed by President Taft. Mr..
Saunders was at that time the editor
of the Breeders Gazette, the most
influential and widely read farm
journal in the United States. Mr..
Saunders issued a signed statement
as to the purpose of the conference.
He declared his willingness to CO.
operate with the specific under
standing that the interests of the
farmers and stock growers should
be paramount
1T is time" declared Mr.. Saunders
IN his signed statement, that some
body should take up the cudgels
against those who for selfish pur-
poses destroyed Blaine's reciprocity
American stockmen and grain grow
ers from a large and lucrative out
let for their goods. The fight for
better markets, worth unknown mil
lions per year to the farming COM
mun mites, will not be won in a week
or month. 1t means a battle royal
against entrenched power, but it will
be won because it is right"
| Mr.. Moss went on to show that
the conference was attended by more
than 900 delegates, representing ev-
cry principal agricultural organiza-
/ ton in the nation, and that at the
close of the meeting the following
! resolutions were passed:
THAT we recommend that per-
manent organization be formed I'M
der the style of the Reciprocal Tariff
league, and that a committee of Is
be appointed to organize and further
the work for which this convention
was assembled"
/ Mr.. Moss expressed the belief that
when reciprocity could be put d.
rectly to the real farmers of the
country, it would develop that they
are for it, and that the alleged hos
tility of the farmer exists principally
in the minds of the paper manu-
facturers and lumber barons.
Democrats to the Rescue.
! Two bills introduced in the Senate.
and several in the House, each of
them Intended to deprive the Su-
preme court of the power it recent
| ly assumed to read the word "rea-
sonable'' into the antitrust law, in
dictate the strong protest in Congress
against the decision of the court
weakening the antitrust statute.
The Senate bills were introduced by
Senators Culberson, of Texas, and
Reed, of Missouri, both Democrats.
Senator Culberson's bill consists
of printed copy of the Sherman
act with three words inserted into
Sections 1 and 2, the words being
"of whatever character" The ef-
feet would be to prohibit all COM
binations, conspiracies in restraint
of trade, all monopolies, all combina-
tions tending toward monopoly Of
whatever character" In the Texas
senator's opinion this change would
effectually restore prohibitions of the
antitrust law to just where they
were before the recent decision was
handed down.
1t is contended by many progress
sives of both parties that the ruling
of the supreme court places in the
antitrust law loophole for trusts
and combinations to get through on
the ground that they are not "unrea-
sonably" restrictive of trade.
That the Sherman law will be re-
stored to where it was before the
decision was announced, is probable.
'Farmers' Friends Asleep
The farmers free list bill is block
AIDED in the United States senate.
Unless strong pressure is brought to
bear there is danger that the bill
die in committee.
Yet the interests that are supply
ing the money to fight reciprocity,
which interests are working over
time proclaiming their friendship for
the farmers and asserting they OPP
pose reciprocity solely because they
feel for the farmers, have not as
yet raised their voice against the
blockade of the farmers free list
bill.
Query: If the interests fighting
reciprocity are really and in fact
such great friends of the farmers,
why are they Indifferent over the
fate of bill which will untax nearly
everything the farmers use?
Democratic Senate Probable.
If the next Presidential election
;c bv bo norp0oroto &c