The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-10-12
Trusts and the TarI,f.

One of the favorite methods of Democratic
assault on the tariff has been to charge upon
1t the responsibility of trusts. In the re-
port of the minority upon the Senate tariff
bill it was called the nursing mother OF
trusts" There was never any foundation
for this charge, but that has not prevented
the Democrats from iterating and reiterat-
ing 1t, no more than does the fact that
the Senate tariff bill absolutely prohibits
the importation of opium prepared for
smoking deter them from repeating over
and over again that tine Republicans are
pandering to the vice of opium smoking.
Mr.. Blaine has shown that trusts exist in
abundance in Great Britain, which is as
near free trade country as there is on
earth, and though they are not called by that
name they have all the essential character
istscs Of what is called In this country
trust. Of very recent date is the formation
of a salt trust in England, with capital
Of $15,000,000. Now the existence of trusts
in abundance in country without any pro-
tective tariff conclusively proves that that
kind OF tariff is not responsible for them.
As matter of fact too, the biggest trusts in
this country deal with articles not protected
by the tariff. The whiskey trust cannot
possibly be the offspring of the protective
tariff, neither can the Standard Oil trust.
But these two trusts constitute the biggest
monopolies that his country knows any
thing about. The tariff, even when so high
as to be absolutely prohibitory, creates no
individual or corporation monopoly. IL in
no way prevents any one of the sixty mil
lion of citizens of the United States engag-
ing in the industry protected. On the con-
trary it encourages him to engage in it by
securing to him the home market and protect
ing him from the destructive competition of
foreigners who could drive him out Of
business by means Of their advantage Of
cheaper labor. Without the tariff many of
the goods which our own people now supply
would be supplied exclusively by foreigners
They would enjoy monopoly of our market
Does anybody imagine that would be condu-
Give to cheapness? Doubtless If our mar
kets were opened free to English manufac-
lures our people would get certain kinds of
goods cheaper for time--that is until the
foreign manufacturers had driven our home
producers out Of business. But after that
what would take placer Simply this.
When the English manufacturer had gained
possession Of our market he would immedi.
ately put up his price. Americans would
then be at the mercy Of foreign trust. over
which we could exercise not the slightest
control SO long as our tariff laws gave it
unrestrained access to our markets. Our
home trusts are perhaps amenable to legisla-
ton, at least they are exposed to destruction
by competition, but foreign trust we conld
neither get at by lew nor attack by competi-
ton, for the moment the American manu-
facturer started up down would 60 tbs price
of foreign manufactures and stay down long
enough to drive him outof business This is
not supposition merely. 1t has actually hap
pened. If anybody expects therefore to abol-
ish combinations to put up the price-and this
is all that trusts are-by opening our ports
free to foreigners he is doomed to disappoint-