The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1911-07-19

sive cause for the support OF Aldrich
and Cannon and their reactionary
programme.
Reciprocity is a popular catch
word. The President seized upon It.
He made an executive compact the
basis. not of a reciprocity treaty but
of tariff bill. Upon this false Ia
sis, he seeks to voice it through with
out amendment or change.
The Canadian pact is unjust to
33.000,000 people.
Joined with the Executive to force
this bill through Congress are the
newspapers. frankly admitting their
selfishness amounting to many mil
lions of dollars. the railroads, the
over-protected manufacturers and
practically every trust and combina-
ton backed by Morgan and Morgan
influences"
Senator Bristow denounced what
he characterized as an alliance of
certain stand-pat Republican Sena-
tors with the Democrats to pass the
measure and permit the inequalities
of the tariff to remain"
He referred to the bearing Of this
legislation on the comirg national
elections, intimating the Democrats
mi o.
on this issue to urge Speaker Champ
Clark for the Presidency.
IF this had been an honest effort
to relieve the American people from
the burdens of the excessive tariff
taxation. the high duties on trust
controlled products would have been
first attacked" he said.
But the Sugar Trust, the Ameri-
can Woolen Company. the Steel Trust,
the Smelters' Trust, the Rubber Trust
and all of those great concerns that
have monopolized the American mar
ket and used high protective duties
to charge excessive prices TO the
American people are left untouched.
while the President Of the Unitel
States and the Democratic majority
in both branches of Congress have
joined in an attack on the duties of
the agricultural schedule, duties thai
have never been a burden to the
American people, because they have
never materially increased the price
Of the products upon which they
were imposed.
Democratic leaders have for :.
half century made violent attacks on
the duties that protect the mn .iuarc-
turing barons Of the East, but now,
when they have an opportunity to re-
lieve the people of burdens which
they have so bitterly complained, they
refuse to do it.
'EEe combination on this floor be-
tween certain stand-pat Republicans,
rcpres nting a great manufacturing
ot@tcs, and a majority Of the Demo-
Gratis, has. we are told, decided that
no amendments shall be attached to
;his Canadian bill. and that soon af-
ter its is passed Congress is to ad-
iourn. This combination is to visit
its wrath on the farmer and give the
trust chance to escape any imme-
date disturbance.
IF the plan succeeds, the stand
patters save their high duties on man
ufactured articles; the President gets
even with the insurgent farmer Of the
West and makes friends with the
newspapers. a friendship which he
has sorely needed during the past two
years; and the Democrats are given
an issue for the campaign next year,
which is the thing they most desire.
They will point with pride to the rec
ord which the House has made. and
incidentally this proud record OF the
House may call favorable attention to
the qualifications OF its Speaker for
,he Presidency"
Mr.. Bristow declared the President
never had said he would veto recip-
rocity with a tariff rider" and he
thought Mr.. Taft should be put to the
test.
He declared the Canadian bill was
in the interest OF the trust protected
articles and directed against the farm
er, "robbing the farmer with insult
ing insolence."
While he believed i'm the protective
tariff he protested against, chat
policy being made the hand maiden
OF greed and avarice."
Charging the stand-pat Republicans
with a betrayal OF the Republican