The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-09-07
Our Washington Letter.

NaSllngtOn, Sept. Z.-\opeCldl)
President Taft's veto of the wool bill
means there will be no reduction
this winter in the price OF WOODEN
clothing of any sort for men, women
and children, nor in the prices oil
blankets, nor any other forms of
wooden manufactures needed for
warmth by the general public.
And just so much as the public
would have saved in cheaper woolens,
together with the amount the farm
ers would have saved in cheaper agri-
cultural implements had the presi-
dent signed the free list bill, will be
transferred unjustly to the Golfers Of
the wooden trust and the harvester
trust, two star contributors to the
republican campaign fund.
| What is the Presidents defense
for refusing to permit reduction in
the cost of living? Let us see: First,
he makes the point the wool bill was
unconsidered, when as matter of
fact the ways and means committee
put in three months of sincere in
vestigation and study before the bill
was framed, which is twice the
length Of time given to the consid
GRAFTON of the Payne-Aldrich bill,
and which document the President
signed readily enough.
Second, the President asks that
the people continue to pay exorbitant
prices for woolens until he hears
from his tariff board, which is pack
ed with men who take the high pro-
lection view point, and whose chief
agents and alleged 'impartiaI' in
VestigatOrS abroad are writing back
articles for American newspapers
ridicLling and belittling the crying
demand of the consumers for tariff
revision downward.
Mr.. TaftS message against cheaper
woolens will go down as document
of misrepresentation, false pretense
and excuses. The real reason the
President vetoed the various tariff
bills was not stated in any of his mes
sages. 1t was because he was under
obligations to the beneficiaries of the
Payne-Aldrich law to serve their in
terests instead of the public interest.
Mr.. Taft was elected president with a
campaign fund contributed by special
privilege. Then, having done this
the great tariff trusts extended fur
Their aid (and placed Taft further in
their debit by frightening their en-
ployees into voting for Taft with the
threat their factories and mills
would be closed down unless he was
elected And, just as he was the
candidate of special privilege, Mr..
Taft is revealed in his veto message
as also the president of special priv
ilege.
Thus it is shown again how pro-
lection makes politics business
proposition. The trusts contribute
campaign funds to the party of the
high protection wall with the inten-
ton of not only recovering from the
public the amount of such contribu-
tions in excessive prices, but stu
pendous dividends as profits. Mr..
Taft proved an exceptionally good
investment for the tariff trusts.
''IIet us Alone.'
The trust officials who appeared
before the various Investigating COM
mittees of Congress this summer, in
Guiding G. w. Perkins, complained
because the democrats were too act
i've in inquiring into their business
methods. LET us alone" is their
favorite wall whenever move is
made to determine in what manner
they are exacting tribute from the
people. "The tendency tC distrust
big corporations" said Mr.. Perkins,
sis hurting business. Business de-
sires to go ahead unmolested."
The ''let us alone policy would
suit the trusts exactly. Having gob-
bled evrything in sight, naturally
they resent interference. With the
tariff so high that they have mon-
opoly on all the necessities of life.
and the antitrust law so interpreted
that restraint of trade is not restraint
are safe from competition, and in
mune from prosecution. Hence their
desire to be let alone.
In the meantime how about prices?
Ten years ago a pair of five pound
blankets could be bought for 1878;
today they cost $500. At that time
the price of five yards of serge cloth,
fifty inches wide was $3.75; the price
now is 1925. Ten years ago twenty
yards of unbleached cotton cloth
could be bought for $1.20; today the
cost is 1920. Five yards of all wool
flannel could be purchased then for
$2.75; the price now is 1925. Flour
sold for $3.50 less per barrel during
the civil war than it does now.
1.-THE Richest Baby.'
Judson C. Welliver, one of the |
very few Washington newspaper and |
writer's who write what |
they think, has an article in Hamp-
toms magazine this month which is |
of especial interest, now that Pres
ldent Taft has vetoed the cotton bill. |
This article is an account of how the
cotton millionaires keep up their fat |
dividends in some in
stances to one hundred per cent an
nually-and at the same time con-
tinue to plead for high tariff, with
out which they contend they will
starve to death. Mr.. Welliver be-
gins his article with photograph
If one James Nicholas Brown, age
eleven, whose wealth is estimated in
he hundreds of millions, every cent
If which was made out of the highly
protected New England cotton man