Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1888-08-31
Protection and Trusts.

From Washington, Pa, Observer
"Trusts" is the magic word with
which the Democrats have started
out to conjure victory this year. -Four
years ago they used Civil Service re-
form, Then they extolled the beau
ties of their policy and piled noun
tain high the promises of what they
were going to do; now they are prin-
cipalIy occupied in denoqncing the
deviltry of trusts"
Their alleged argument is eminent
ly ridiculous when reduced to logi-
cal statement, viz: "Trusts" are a
great evil; this great evil exists un-
der Protection; therefore Protection
is the cause of it, the Republican par
tyis the champion of Protection;
therefore the Republican party is the
friend and oil Of trusts" If it could
once be shown that there were logi-
cal connection in the nature of cause
and effect, between the system OF
Protection and the existence of these
oppressive combinations, then the ar
gument would be powerful, if not
conclusive. But that there is any
such connection, never has been and
never can be shoyE.
1t can be safely said that there can
not be found single friend of these
pools or combinations outside of the
persons either directly or indirectly
Interested in them. And sc far from
the friends of Protection being by
that fact the allies of trusts" it
ought 70 be plain to any rejecting
man that it is the Free Traders them
selves who occupy this unenviable
position. 1t is only within a very
few years since domestic competition
has become keen, producing lower
prices and narrower profits, that
TRUSTS" have been heard of ip this
country. This therefore must be the
condition of trade which induces their
formation; and the end for which they
are organized, viz; the elimination OF
competition and the keeping up OF
prices and profits, proves that this is
80. But the proposition of the Free
Traders is to intensity competition,
lower prices and decrease profits by
letting the low priced goods of foreign
countries enter our ports unhampercd,
thereby aggravating the conditions
which turn mems thoughts to such
devices and causing the very evil ct
which they rail 80 loudly to flourish
as vigorously as ever.
As showing the relative extent to
which these combinations flourish
under Protection or Free Trade, the
following extract from Mr. Blaine'G
Portland speech will furnish an apt
conclusion to this article:
The point which L wish to impress
Ipon gag ia that trusts are not the
outgro gth nor in any yay the Incl
dent Of the protective policy, as the
President charges; that protective
policy no more bresds what the Pres
ident considers the pestilence OF trusts
than does the veriest free trade coun-
Lry III JHe WOIIu, WniCh 10 Hhe iohu
for England is literally plastered all
; oyer, under her system OF free trade,
| with trpsts. The very day before |
sailed for home. just fortnight aeo,
] cut from a London journal the an
nouncement that all the manufactur-
ers of collins end all the undertakers
of the United Kingdom had gone in
to trust. that it was to consist OF
f2, 900, 900 capital, which. in the Ian.
guage OF the English financial mar
ket, was to have large number OF
"Preferential bonds" and that the
yearly death rate might be expected
to yield semi-apnpai dividend OF 2
per cent. Now ! think, my friends,
that 30 for from the protective policy
generating trusts, an utter free trade
policy generates them in far greater
number and thus | leave the quest
tion.