The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1913-06-07
WASHINGTON LETTER.
y POW EKFIL LOBBY TRY.
ING TO DEEAT TARIFF
BILL.

! Washington, -. g., June ,, 'l3.
President Wilson, following his
usual custom Ot striking right
from tho shoulder, has warmed
the country that a powerful lobby
ls at wo,k trying to defeat the
pending tariff bill which in de.
signed to lower the cost of living
To The American people, This IL
nothing unusual, however, for
when republicans revise the tariff,
hey always revise 1t MT AZ the
lobbyists OF representatives Of the
great "trusts" dictate. But in u
Democratic revision. they are up
against sterner stuff, real demo
cratic patriots, aud President
| Wilson's alarm has served to dis,
arm them hy the search light Of
publicity and already they are Oh
the run. Furthermore it has call.
ed the attention Of Congress to
the necessity Of passing law
compelling lobbyists to register
and state wha, their object il in
trying t" influence legislation,
and if they do not register SO az
to give notice to the public they
viii Oe sent to prison. Several
states have such "a law and it has
largely destroyed the power Of
lnbj lsts III corinp,ing law makers.
TIE TARIFF AND DIRECT
ELECTION OF SENATOR'S.
The fact that in the future, sen
ators will have to be eleccd by
popular vote instead OF through
state legislatures, has served 10
make them more responsive to the
public will. aud those who are oin
position to know, are asserting
that nv Democratic Senator can
DO re elected who votes against
the pending tariff bill or who
votes to amend it with republican,
aid SO az to make it objectionable
to President Wilson. He seals
his doom when he opposes VII.
son.
MASTE EKLY DEMOCRATIC
CRAFTSMANSHIP.
Oscar Underwood Of Ala, who
framed the tariff bill has shown
himself a mastery statesman in
framing this bill, and it must not
be forgotten that n tariff bill ia
the most difficult OF all bills to
frame, for while the country
knows that the tariff isato be re-
v,sed downward, it il DeveItbe.
less sweeping on at high tide Of
prosperity not .qna'ed for over
decade. Underwood has publicly
declared that when the new tariff
il put INTO operation, that il any
industry can show that it cannot
make a fair profit under the bill,
that the tariff will be raised on
that article It necessary. This il
as fair and square ~ any business
can ask, and Underwood has serv.
ed notice on the "big Interests"
that he ~ not going to be bnilipd
by them nor stand their threats
Of reducing wages when the tariff
is lowered.
DEPARTMENT OFCOMMERCE
TO INVESTIGATE.
The department Of Commerce
has served notice TO these people
and their threats, that il they 1t.
tempt to lower wages on their EN-.
pIoyes on account Of the new tar.
If, tha, they will be investigated
and will have to prove that they
cannot pay standard wages under
the low tariff This little move
on the part Of the Secretary OF
Commerce, has "caIled the bluff"
and The little threats" have shut
np as tight az clam. There
will be no lowering Of wages, hut
on the other hand when the new
Democratic tariff and currency
laws get into operation. prOsperi.
- w. ~ Austy uCt luT tDIV0
country, that wages will have 10
be raised IN all lines Of industry.
for when there are six jobs seek
ing five men, or in other words
hen there are more jobs than
there are men TO fill them, wages
are bound to 70 up.
RAILROADS ARE TRUE INDI.
GATORS OF PROSPERITY.
The activity Of the railroads are
always good indexes Of the indus.
trial condition and they are all
showing unusual activity. The
Great Southern Sys.em has just
issued \ statement showing al in.
crease Of over a, oOO, 900 in earn.
ings during the past len months.
This il a most gratifying showing
and indicates the wIdeapread
prosperity throughout the south
aud the Western, Eastern and
Northern roads are showing .
good increase also.
J.. Our thanks are acknowledged