The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1888-09-26
THE REPUBLICAN POLICY.
1t Is to Foster Trusts and Cater to the
Money Power

1t Is to Foster Trusts and Cater to the
Money Power
To THE EDIToR-Sr: True protection,
as it is recognized by the democratic party,
and will be freely accorded by demo-
cratic administration, is that which will
allow the difference of cost in the pro-
duction OF any given article, as manufact-
ured ready for use or consumption, and
no more. For instance, if 100 yards of
cloth VIII cost in England S., and the
same article cost here say 81 to produce,
then g protection and no more should
be allowed. Ii it costs s. to produce a
ton of steel there, and costs Sl2 to produce
the same here, place duty OF 50 on ton
of steel; if it costs S25 TO make ton of
steel rails there, and $50 to produce the
same here, duty of So per ton on steel
rails is sufficient 10 protect the manufact-
urer of steel rails. And so on through
out the whole list of competing manu-
features. 1t is well for American labor to
understand the position of the two parties
on this "labor protection" question. Any
amount of duty above the difference of
cost in manufacturing is tax upon con-
sumers that is not beneficial, even to labor
engaged in producing the article, but is
appropriated TO the use and benefit OF the
manufacturer only, which no laboring-
man ought to favor. Now, in a great
many articles OF necessity to the consumers
of this country, the rates of duty are so
high as TO cover the difference in cost of
production many times over, which we
claim is unjust to all consumers, and es-
peciallv labor.
1t is. plain that the republican object in
'high protection" is to prohibit the inn
portation of such articles, which leaves
the way open for the organization of all
manner of trusts" And what really is a
trust? 1t is simply conspiracy OF a com
pany of capitalists, formed to control the
prices of an article, in the interests of the
company, which enables it to sell to con-
sumers at any price it chooses to put upon
the article And Mr.. Blaine has recently
said (since the Chicago convention) that
trusts are private affairs" that the presi-
dent or congress has no right to Interfere
with them; then we are to be cursed with
all manner of trusts If we have a republican
administration, without any defense; for
Blaine is the best authority for his party.
ask all reasonable people to consider
the two letters OF acceptance" and es-
pecially the latter part of Cleveland's
letter. Measure every sentence, and weigh
each word soberly; they are words of
wisdom. ave believe" says the president,
''that these trusts are IT, natural offspring
of market artificiallY restricted; that an
inordinately high tariff. besides
furnishing the temptation for their exist
ence, enlarges the limit within which they
may operate against the people. Under
various names they have been punished
by the common law, for hundreds of years,
Il how hax- lost Of haTr hot ffnl
features by having assumed the name OF
trusts instead OF conspiracies."
What ringing words these; and how
they ought to cause one to stop rnd
Think And what does Harrison say 2
at cannot be doubted that the legislative
authority should and will find a method
of dealing fairly and effectively with these
and other abuses connected with this sub
ject." They have always found a
method" TO deal with questions, but al
ways in the interest of capital. Harrison
himself 'found a method" to cheaper
wages by admitting Chinese laborers to
come in, and steadily voted against any
restriction of cheap labor. He would also
have found method to deal with the
railroad men, had he been governor, by
driving them back to work, at the point
of the bayonet, for 81 day, while his
SERVICES were CeTIlueu uIlueI Odlu W De
worth 81 900 for NEARLY a weeks work"
That party is known ''party of
methods" while Harrison, its candidate,
is pre-eminently given to finding methods.
and would find more methods for the op-
preston of labor than even 1 could enum-
crate now if he were president.
am in my forty-seventh year, and l
served in ''the war" also, and since the
war l have been very close observer of
the course OF the republican party. Have
been republican myself, but l do not feel
like supporting any man or platform set
up by lot OF capitalists, whose sole aim
is, if they can, to bring the labor of this
country to a level with the paupers of
Europe by legislating what little means
they have over to capital, leaving them
entirely at the mercy of capital, as it is in
Europe. Just examine the mortgage rec
ord over ten of these Western states-over
8, 900, O00, OO0-and all accumulated during
a "twenty-fve-year labor protection"
period. We have been taxed enough in
twenty years TO have paid off the war
debt five times, and now have mortgage
list over twice as large as the war debt,
and the debt not half paid. will say to
all voters, 1 will vote the democratic
ticket this fall if l am spared. l will
do so because l like Cleveland's letter and
the st. Louis platform. l. SEE.
Carrollton, KY, Sept. Is.