Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-06-20
Democratic Nominations,
THE TARIFF AND TRUSTS.

THE manufacturers of cotton duck, which is used for making sails, covering wagons, and by farmers ill covering their crops, are highly protected under our pres ent tariff. Some time ago these gentlemen formed a combination or ''trust,' to gus tain prices The article has for many years been staple for exportation to various parts of South and Central America, where it is in high favor on account of it's dura ability and cheapness. The firm of Coombs, Crosby & Eddy, of New York city, were large exporters of this very use- full commodity. Suddenly they noticed a marked falling off in their orders. Some thing was wrong, and they set themselves to work to find out what it is. MT Thomas A. Eddy gives the result of the investi gation in most interesting and instruc- tive letter to representative Breckenridge. MT Eddy writes:
 "We in connection with other firms en- gagged in exportation have spent large amounts of money ill introducing it into these countries, and the orders for it be- came of considerable importance and came with great regularity. Soon after the man. ufacturers formed the trust to control out put and sales, we noticed a steady decline in orders until they finally nearly ceased. We have discovered the reason, which is as follows:
 ''The combined manufacturers have es- tablished an agency in London to supply all foreign trade with the goods which are de- ivered in London at to 74 per cent less than they will supply them to the merchants of this country for exportation; in other words they pay the freight and insurance, landing and warehouse expenses, their agents commissions, etc., and sell the goods for from 5 to H per cent less than they will sell them in New York for cash This shows two things: 1st. That this par ticular article does not need the 30 per cent ad valorem duty to protect it's man. ufacture. 2d. That the protection which has been accorded the manufacturers of this article in time past has been used by them as weapon with which to stab American commercial enterprise, and has also gwen UneIn all oppOi1uulCy, "AAoA they have not been slow to avail them selves of, to destroy the trade of the mer- chant and to discredit the home market.
 "The above speaks for itself, and we trust that these facts will prove of some value to you as a weapon in your fight against the abuses of the tariff. If by any possibility cotton duck should be placed upon the free list, this would enable us to buy the American article from London merchants, bring it to New York and ship it from here to our foreign correspondents at better prices than if we bought them from the trust in New York. would add that the exchange on the London prices quoted is calculated at $4.S0 to the {, whereas the actual rate to-day is $4.S6, making further advantage to the London buyer of about II per cent over and above the difference on the prices given"
 It will be observed that MT Eddy is not "theorist" or 'dude" or "pale- faced professor" He is a practical busi- ness man of large experience, and it is very clear that he knows what he is talking about. Protection certainly does pro- tect-but whom That is the question which the voters of this country are called
 upon to answer.