Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1912-06-07
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
By CLYDE H. TAvENNER.
Washington, D. c., June 8. 1912.

washington, ~ ", Jullc y, lOkG.
The Democratic Congressional COMMITTEES,
the function of which Is to give aid and
counsel to Democrats seeking election to
Congress, is making preparations to begin
an active offensive campaign just as soon
as the national conventions are over.
Democrats realize that there is no use to
talk issues to the people as long as the
Republican candidates are keeping the air
blue with epithets in denunciation of each
other They know the characteristics of
Americans well enough to realize that the
average man in this country would leave
sermon any day to witness dog fight and
80. until the political dog fight is over. the
Democratic leaders are biding their time
The campaign just now centers almost
wholly around personalities, but after the
conventions are over the issues will force
themselves to the front, and it is then that
the Democrats expect to get in their work.
It is practically certain that neither Mr..
Taft's Constitutional government" nor Mr..
Roosevelt's Shall the People Rule" will be
the issue of the coming campaign. The
people of this country know that the con-
stitution is in no danger regardless of who
is elected, and they also know that whether
the people are to rule or not will be de-
termined by the character and records of
the men elected to the high places particu-
larly the records of these men.
II has been pointed out by the Democratic
leaders that both Republican candidates
are talking about things that have no
specific meaning. Twenty years ago 1t was
sufficient for q candidate for political Office
to shout political platitudes about Abraham
Lincoln and the American Eagle and the
Star Spangled Banner. but nowadays. ar
que the Democratic leaders, the people
want to know what it is proposed to do to
the tariff and the trusts and the other
forces that are working to the injury of
the country. They want to know what
remedy is proposed for the present out
rageous cost of living, and whether some
thing can't be done to squeeze the water
out of over-capitalized corporations.
On these vital questions the Democrats,
in the coming campaign, will point to their
record They will put their fingers on the
sore spots and say Here is where we
applied the knife. and here is the rotten
ness we would have cut out had not our
hands been stayed by the Republican Sem
ate and the Republican. President,
Anti in the meantime one Republican
cc9didate is still shouting about Abraham
Lii oln, while the other prates about tho |
con titution, but unless the efforts Of the
Congressional Committee of Democrats 60 |
for naught they both will have, TO coma
down out of the clouds and meet issues IN
which the peopl0Are more closely concerned.
"A THOUSAND MILLION Do, snRs A EEAR.
This is the amount SIeat the protected
industries wiring annually from the Ameri-
can people over and above fair profit on
money actually invested, according to an
estimate by u. S. Senator Hitchcock, Of
Nebraska. Senator Hitchcock has never
been accused of making wild statements.
II believe 1t Is within reason to say"
said Senator Hitchcock at the conclusion
of a speech he made on the subject, that
careful examination of the profits from
all classes of privileged wealth in the
United States would reveal that the pro-
tected industries Of this country exact from
the people over and above fair profit ap-
proximately thousand millions Of dollars
year. The fact that these industries
have a monopoly. granted through our
laws, enables them to do fhis."
Senator Hitchcock's speech fairly bristled
with figures, taken from the most reliable
and authentic sources, to back up each Of
his detailed statements.
The steel trust alone gets $500. 900 |
annually in excess Of fair profit. This |
monopoly does an annual business OF three |
thousand millions, and II is admitted that |
were It not for thetariff on steel that trust |
would have to sell its products for ten per |
cent. less than II now gets for them, and |
ten per cent. Of three thousand millions Is |
three hundred millions. Thus II is seen
that every man, woman and child Of the
ninety-two millions in this country pays
th.,Na If NA Nk,.l
steel trust over and above fair profit and
what they would have to pay II there were
no tariff on steel
What is the effect of this extortionH One
effect has been to create horde Of mush-
room millionaires in this country. Another
effect has been the gradual Capitalization
of the wealth of the nation in the hands
Of few, with corresponding intensity In
the struggle for existence among the masses.
Still another effect is seen in the constantly
increasing number Of strikes Within the
last rs years there have been 36,756
strikes In this country, most OF them for
higher WAGES. These strikes have involved
a total of 100000 men, who. with their
wives and children, were driven to hunger
and suffering
While the steel trust enjoys a complete
monopoly. II finds time to compete with
foreign nations for steel trade outside Of
the United States. Last year the steel |
makers Of this country sold $230.0O0,0 900 |
worth OF steel abroad which proves con-
clusively that American steel makers can
make steel as cheaply as anybody and that
the tariff is simply a barrier to enable the
trust to gouge the home consumer.
The meantime the Democratic bill TO
lower the steel tariff. having passed the
House. lies in the Republican Senate still
unvoted upon.