Jasper County Democrat, Volume 8, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 October 1905 — PENALTY OF GREED. [ARTICLE]

PENALTY OF GREED.

Beef Barons Come to Grief Becaaee of—Hellish ne»*. - It is surely Nemesis that is pursuing the beef trust. Germany proposes to more than double her tariff rates against the products of the trust. The greed of the beef barons has caused them to overreach themselves by increasing their, own protection. They have always been faithful Republicans, “believing in the principle of protection,” and as such have been granted full protection by the high rates imposed by our tariff, so that there should be noncompetition against the trust from any foreign country. No doubt the trust has faithfully reciprocated with the Republican party machine by ample donatious to the campaign fund and coercion of its employees to rote the straight ticket. But now comes Germauy, one of the trust’s best customers, declaring that, as the United States has refused to lower its tariff schedules on German products, she will on March 1 next impose a prohibitive duty on all American products that compete with her own. And here is where Nemesis overtakes the beef barons, for the duty on canned beef is Increased from $1.84 to $6.48 per 100 pounds, or an increase of 252 per cent, and on fresh beef in übout the same proportion. On hog products the increased duty is not so great, but the advance is over 75 per cent, which is quite enough to disturb the business of the beef and pork barons. Nearly every American farm product Is virtually prohibited from being sold in Germany. As an illustration, the duty on Hour will be increased 158 per cent, for while it is now $1.55 a barrel the new rate will lie $4. We could all look with complacency upon ?iemesis pursuing the beef barons if our farmers should not suffer considerably also. The loss of any of our markets'for our surplus farm products means that the sale of our surplus will be confined to a still uarrower market than now and consequently greater competition and lower prices. That is the great penalty we pay for our high protective policy.