Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 November 1908 — HUGHES WRONG ON TARIFF. [ARTICLE]

HUGHES WRONG ON TARIFF.

Cannot 8w That Trust Products Should Bo on Frse List. In Governor Hughes' speech at Lincoln, Neb., he quoted one of Mr. Bryan’s proposals thus: “Let us go through the tariff schedules and put on tbe free list tbe things that are being manufactured by the trusts. That will destroy them.” Mr. Hughes rejoins, “True enough, but would it not also destroy tbe weaker manufacturers to the same line, who are fighting against the trusts and who, being small, have tbe least power to resist?” We cannot suppose Governor Hughes to be ignorant of tbe fact that Mr. Bryan and others in proposing the “free list” for trust made products have never proposed to “destroy” the trusts as industries or pnt them oat of business, but only to destroy the monopolistic character of their business aud make them conduct it legitimately oil a competitive basis. Can Mr. Hughes name a trust that would cease to do business if deprived of the tariff protection which now enables it to charge l monopoly prices? Is be Ignorant of the extortions of the steel trust, tbe oil trust, the borax trust and many others, made possible by the tariff which keeps out foreign competition?

So far is Mr. Bryan from proposing to destroy any business by removing tariff duties that he stated lu his Des Moines’speech and again in his New York speech that if any trust considers the “free list” remedy too drastic “It cab avoid it by giving up its monopoly.” If the trusts are not to be forced into bankruptcy it cannot be assumed that their smaller competitors will be ruined. They will, rather, be benefited by being rid of the domineering tactics usually employed by monopolies. What excuse can Mr. Hughes give for his unwillingness to apply so obvious and just a remedy for oppressive tributes levied by the trusts, and what excuse can be give for misrepresenting his opponent’s position?