The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1913-08-14
WASHINGTON LETTER.

Washington, Aug. 11.-special
Correspondence The assertion of
Senator Lippitt of Rhode Island, who
is a big cotton manufacturer, that
the democratic tariff bill is half
baked" and "ignorantly prepared"
drew forth a rebuke from Senator
John Sharpe Williams during the
tariff debate that effectively silenced
the Rhode Islander. Before his
election to the senate Mr.. Lippitt ap-
peared before congress and argued
for high duties on cotton manufac-
lures. Mr.. Williams said the Rhode
Island senator still seemed to think
that the manufacturers could fix the
tariff rates and write the tariff law
on cotton manufactures.
1T is not to the credit of our leg
islation of the past" said Mr.. Will
liams, that interested representa-
tives of the cotton industry, the
wooden industry, the steel Industry
and other industries were permitted
to come here and prepare the tariff
schedules in which they were inter-
ested, to be afterwards passed by the
two houses of congress and approved
by a republican president. We have
entered upon a different era. The
democratic party desires to subserve
the well being of the manufacturing
industries. At the same time it
should be understood that we have
gone beyond the day when manufac-
turers of cotton, steel or WOODEN
goods can come before congress, and
prepare schedules to suit themselves
~ J, n n
an economic industrial situation
created whereby mOnopOlies were
created and whereby undue control
of the great business of the country
was put in the hands of few men,
to the detriment of the great masses
of the people; and because of that
very thing the American people at
the last election registered mighty
protest. 1t is our purpose to make
tariff in the interests of the Ameri-
can people as a whole.
Senator Salisbury added another
contribution to the tariff debate
when he denounced the "bogie"
stories of republicans who professed
to see ruin impending when the new
tariff is adopted
+ Beet sugar, he said, 1--WE will
continue to produce under any tariff.
We did not feel that fewer sheep
will bear wool in this country, or
that because we put honest wooden
blankets over or on our people to
protect them from the cold we will
put them at the mercy OF other ma
lions. Because, so far as we can by
this bill, we loosen the grip of the
meat trust on the stomachs of our
people we do not believe we will
place them at the mercy, of other
nations; nor do we believe that by
taking the duty off flour or wheat
or potatoes, used solely to beguile
and deceive our farmers heretofore,
will we destroy the fertility of our
fields, the industry of our farmers
or the output Of our millers.'
Senator Salisbury added that no
special interest, no association of
manufacturers or privileged benefic-
| iaries have written a section, a
clause or word in the impending
bill.
In no particular has the Wilson
administration shown itself more de-
termined to be of real service to the
people than by the plan of distribut-
! ing the government deposits among
the banks, to assist in moving the
crops. How popular the plan proved
was evident from the request of the
southern bankers for $5O,00O,0OO,
! the entire amount originally plan
ned to be set aside. The request OF
Denver banks for $20,000,00O more
and of the banks of FIT. Wayne, In
diana, for 100000 showed the nee
essity of raising the amount to
; $1OO,0O0,000 and it was announced
that this would be done if necessary
That it was a good move on the
part of the administration was
shown by the promptness with which
the banks hailed the plan as one that
would prevent money stringency
at time when the elasticity OF
the currency always has been most
pronounced-the crop moving per.
iod The explanation that the ad-
ministration currency bill provides
| to give permanent elasticity of this
character to the currency went far
to removing the opposition to the
proposed legislation.
The approval given by the bank
ers to the plan for arranging easier
bank loans to farmers, and the COM
plete agreement reached by the
house caucus on the currency legis-
lation makes it appear certain that
President Wilson's plan to have a
currency bill enacted to supplement
the tariff measure will be carried
out this session.
I