The Helena Independent

BETRAYAL OF THE WEST.

The Washington correspondent of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, a republican paper, tells some things in regard to the framing of the new tariff bill that are of special interest to the producing states of the union. Having stated that of the eight republicans in the house who drafted the bill only one--Gear, of Iowa--represented an agricultural constituency, while six were from eastern manufacturing districts, and the remaining one from the city of San Francisco, and that, of the senate finance committee that went through the motions of revising the bill, five of the six republican members were from manufacturing states and only one from an agricultural state, the correspondent shows that the result was just what might be expected under such conditions; that the manufacturers were granted higher protective duties, while the west was left to take care of itself and to pay protection prices for the manufactured goods of the east. The correspondent says:

When a western senator, in the interest of cattle-raisers of this country, proposed to put a duty on hides, the chief opposition came from Senator Dawes, of Massachusetts. Senator Dawes went among the senators on his side of the chamber and assured them that if the tariff was put on hides the effect would be most disastrous in his state. He said that he was certain that it would cause six republican districts in Massachusetts to send democrats to the next congress.

Hides were put upon the free list, and to-day the stockmen of Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona and Texas are in competition with the cattle-growers of Central and South America--of the Argentine republic, for example, where there are limitless ranges, where cattle multiply without the care that is required in our more rigorous climate, and are herded and slaughtered by the cheapest class of labor that is to be found. Montana has a score to settle with its congressman for his failure to even raise his voice against this gross inequality. Smooth words will not suffice to excuse his disregard of the interests of the people of this state.