The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1888-09-01
The Republican Party and Trusts.

The American people had come to the con-
clusion that trusts were oppressive, If not
unlawful, and both the Republican and Dem
ocratic national platsforms denounced them,
state platforms Of both parti es had done
likewise and Congress has been investigating
them, with view to legislation to restrain
them, but the "Uncrowned King has come
to the rescue, and declared that, while he
would not say whether trusts were advanta-
geous or disadvantageous they were largely
private affairs with which the people had no
right to interfere. In a speech at Portland,
Maine, on August 10Th, he said;
When President Cleveland delivered his
message he had something to say to the
American people about the danger of trusts.
think there have since been no Democratic
papers in the country, whether they under
stood the meaning Of the word or not, that
have not been constantly warning the people
as to the horrible danger Of trusts. Laugh
ter Well, | shall not discuss trusts this
afternoon. l shall not venture to say that
they are altogether advantageous or disadvan-
tageous. They are largely private affairs with
which neither President Cleveland nor any
private citizen has any particular right to IN
terfere
Blaine has ever been the friend and defen-
der of monopolists, and these remarks aston
ished no one. But he is regarded as the
greatest Of the Republican leaders, the very
embodiment of its principles and policy, and
his return from Europe was anXiously awaited
that he might sound the keynote of the cam
paign, set the ball in motion and lead the
party on to victory. The platform of the
Republican party was severe on trusts, but
the platform was nothing to the party and
they longed for the presence of Mr.. Blaine to
make the issue and outline party policy.
The New York Tribune, the leading organ
of the Republican party, in commenting on
the Republican platform in its issue of June
ODD, said:
at is a grand platform because it utters
plainly the hostility of the Republican Party
to those trusts and combinations by 'chich the
best fruits Of the protectiee system are in some
cases denied to consumers.
Mr.. Blaine was not prepared to say that
trusts were disadvantageous. but the infer
ence is to be drawn from his remarks that he
NOUS 10 an OplllOu lulle lHS lC'SlSCi lol hO
plainly says that they are private affairs and
it is nobody's business what they do. As
Mr.. Blaine is the embodiment of Republican
principles, and Republcanism itself, as many
journals of his party delight to say, we sup
pose the Chicago convention erred in de-
nouncing trusts and Mr.. Banes view must
be accepted as the true Republican doctrine.
The Tribune says that trusts deny to con-
nsumers the best fruits of the protective
system. The embodiment of Republican
ISM says that there is no connection between
trusts and the protective system. In his
Portland speech Mr.. Blaine said:
The point which | wish to impress upon
Won is that trusts are not the outgrowth nor in
any way the incident of the protective policy,
as the President charges; that protective
policy no more breeds what the President
considers the pestilence of trusts than does
the yeriest free trade country in the world,
which is England, for England is literally
plastered all over, under her system of free
trade, with trusts.
Are the utterances of Blaine CT the decla-
rations of the Republican platform and the
chief party organ to be taken as to the real
position of the party?
Senator Sherman, in his speech on the
message of President Cleveland on January
4th last. said on the subject of trusts:
''When such combinations to prevent re-
duction of price by fair competition exist
agree that they may and ought TO be met by a
reduction of dittg. hope the President vile
be able to specify them. kROto Of R0Hl
SUCH
Investigation later proved TO him the exis-
fence of combinations, for in some remarks
on the Reagan bill to restrain trusts, deliver
ed in the Senate on August 14th, he said:
''Where these combinations grow ont Of
yerenue Ia,rS, as the Sugar Trust, which is one
of the most dangerous and wrongful Trusts
ever organized in this country, the Trust can
certainly be reached by the operation Of our
TeUeRue LdlcS.
And after he had urged that the bill should
be referred to the Finance COMMITTEES he
added:
''As matter of course, legislation upon
the subject of Trusts and combinations in trade
will naturally grow out of our revenue laws.
Thus Mr.. Sherman admits not only the ex'
lSLencc Oh lEuetS. put bssO Nuttt htSn NuNiSS
encourage them, for he says that they ought
TO be met By reduction of duty. But Mr..
Sherman has never been called Republican
ism, and his utterances have never been re-
earded by Republicans as the principles OF
the party, except when he is in accord with
Blaine.
Mr.. Blaine denies that high duties make
trusts and combinations possible, but says
they flourish on the yeriest free trade country
in the world, England, which is literally plas
tered over with them.
The New York Times instructed its London
correspondent to investigate the matter o
trusts IN England, and found no such comb
nations there. They are literally unknown
and everybody but Blaine knows that trust!
can only exist where high duties prevail
The following extract from the(report of the
Times correspondent, is but a sample of thu
evidence given to contradict the "Greates
Living Republican,
Robert Giffen, the celebrated STATISTICAL
of the Board of Trade, is absent in Scotland
but his representative IN office, Alfred +
Bateman, is one of the principals Of the de
partment and also the Secretary of the Roya
Statistical Society. He said: ave scarcel!
know what the word trust means over here
should hardly know myself if had not haC
occasion, as part of the work for our sugar
bounties' conference here, to read up abou
your Sugar Trust Practically such thin
as a trust does not exist here. The Board o
Trade has never had occasion to reckon viii
the trust as even trivial factor in the com
merca life of the country. There are fer
lines of production here in which, from time
10 time, attempts are made to create tempo
/. rary combinations for the temporary eontro
of the market These are In commoditie
sike Tin, where the sources Of production ar
SO limited that half dozen men can contro
<hem: hut these combinations are more anal
Joyous to your corners in wheat or coffee thar
permanent, openly organized trusts. The,