The record. [volume] (St. Maries, Idaho) 1913-1918, 1913-06-17
Telephone No. 'SS
TUESDAY.JUNE I7,I0I5
Protected Interests and
The Senate

The following letter written 10y Sen
ator Thomas. of Colorado. to some Of
his constituents who had written TO
him urging that sugar be not pus on
the free list, contains graphic de-
scription of the pressure that is belug
brough to bear on the senate by the
special interests 10 their fight against
Che Underwood tariff bill
Read Il carefully and you can form
some idea Of the herculean task which
President Wilson has before him in
his endeavor to oaSry out the platform
pl&D IS of his part aud the will of
the s'@ le las expressed In the last
eleclNEetand the need tAet he has tor
the support and encouragement in
his Heht for the commd people
againts the special interenor
popular opinion d fesid ha' spe-
clal session of o0nR.nweror A. I'M
mediate revision OH The tariff. = 49,.
was called, aud the national oapit\
was at once invaded by the same old
protected interests, having fully as
tablished and protected communion
lions with boards of trade, chambers
OF commerce, banks, trading com
panies, newspapers. employees, law
yers, ministers, and other influence
throughout the land. Each began its
particular campaign Of opposition to
any assault upon its special privil-
eyes, aud all are chanting the ancient
chorus of ruin Of infant industries,
decrease In wages, the rights Of labor,
and coming disaster to the nation.
The House with its overwhelming
majority was immune to attack; the
senate, therefore. became the storm
centar of assault. BY telegram, by
latserh, by resolutions of commercial
and industrial associations aud un-
ions. by interviews, by threat, by en-.
treaty, by the impoItunities of men,
and the olamor Of creditors "
Notice that last line. not written
by a journalist describing Washing
ton, but by a senator. senator who
is we'll known to have been under the
strongest pressure from the sugar in
terests. Continue:
"by newspaper criticism aud oonten-
tion, by pamphlet aud circular, by
the slnisture pressure Of a lobby OF
llmitless resources, by all the arts
aud power Of wealth aud organiza-
ton. the senate that has been and
will be besieged, until 1t capiiulates
or the Underwood bill shall have been
enatoed. With the tate Of the nation
and the life of democracy 10 their
keeping. / thank God that fnrty-nine
senators have thus far held the cita
del aud preserved the ark of the cove.
nant. The hosts Of protection draw
ing much aid aud comfort from some
democratic sources, have not yet pre-
vailed against them. The president,
whnse serene faith In the h'dy OF the
masses clothes him rs mantle OF
fire, gives as the stiulus Of his pre-
oept and example -
All that Senator Thomas says. aud
more, is literally true. The common
talk OF Washington IL whether this
senator OF that senator Is going 10
"come across" "a q Gaming, will be
resist the pressure Of the special in
terests upon him aud vote for Mr..
Wilson g tariff program The names
of the senators who are under this
pressure are freely mentioned It is
ell a matter of arithmetic There are
ninety six men IN the senate OF
these. fifty-one are democrats. II
three Of these turn traitor, the party 3
majority will be reduced to a tie vote
and II four can be sennred. the party
will not have a majority. The sugar
interests have already captured two,
Senators Thornton aud Ramsdell of
Louisiana; they are now seeking With
The diligence Of desperation for two
more, aud the half dozen men upon
whom they are centering their attack
are we'll known. The supreme quea-
tion at Washington, for three weeks
bias bssn whether or not one or more