Jasper County Democrat, Volume 10, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 March 1908 — TARIFF. TRUSTS ANDGRAFT [ARTICLE]

TARIFF. TRUSTS ANDGRAFT

“The present tariff system is at the root of most of bur national evils. Ft* is the source of that monstnrue iniquity—speciall privi- - lege—which saps the very foundation of government and of business life. Special privileges foster a class that feeds on the productiveness of the masses. “Trusts are a natural and logical result of a high protective tariff. The higher the duties the greater the number of»trusts. With the possible exception of Russia, the United States has the highest tariff known. We also have the most trusts. I see no exceptional objections to great corporations or even to combinations and syndicates, if they behave themselves. They will behave if they have no special privileges, no monopoly power which will endb'e them to control prices. “Bub then, with a high tariff wall, you prohfbit- foreign competion, you invite the competitors in any industry inside that wall to get together to sustain prices and bleed the penned-up consumers. We should not be surprised that We have so many trusts and that they put the prices up so high. It is not surpnsing that we have graft and corruption in public and private life. It would’ be strange if onr present tariff system did not result in trusts and graft. It is equivalent to a license to form Combinations and trusts to graft off the public. “Trust-busting that leaves the trusts entranced aS strongly as ever and permits constant increase in the cost of living is an utter and absolute failure. The whole trust-busting business as conducted at Washington is farcical. Tfie real remedy lies in the removal of the duties that shelter and protect the Jrusts. “AJI other grafts combined do not equal the annual graft of the tariff —the continuous robbery of the people under the cover of a ‘protective’ tariff law, which permits the taking unnecessarily of an average of not less than SSO a year a family from their pockets and turns the proceeds over to trusts. Every article of food, clothing and shelter is tariff taxed. If an article is not taxed directly

it is indirectly. It is shipped over tariff taxed railroads or stored in tariff-taxed buildings. “Since July, 1897, just before the passage of the Dingley tariff act, the cost of living has increased 50 per cenU Wages have not risen to corresponding figures, so that wage earners areworseoff, and they are wondering what is wrong. They pay fully 80 per cent of all the tariff taxes. , * * There is growing dissatisfaction with the Republican administration, with the evils of its tariff system and with the special privileges that its policy breeds. “The conditions of business and labor are not conductive to Republican continuance. Any administration, whether responsible or not for hard times, is bound to suffer blame. Remember how the country turned on President Cleveland in 1893 oiraccoant of the panic of that year, although the cause for that stringency lay far back of his election. “ L'be Democratic party should, above all things, take h strong position foran immediate tariff reduction on raw materiajs and foods and especially for the entire removal of all duties on trust products sold cheaper to foreigners than to Americans. It should do all in its power toward securing reciprocal trade relations with Canada. It should declare against every special privilege. It should oppose federalism. That would make the platform for success.’’ —Ex. Gov. Douglas (Dem.) of Mass.