Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-07-05

~ MAINTAINING taxes upon the needs
of every home and removing the
tax on that which does more to
destroy the home than all the evils
Of the world besides" The TKIB-
UNE cannot regard him as in earnest.
Such assertions are only for effect.
The tobacco and whiskey adherents
are against the Republican party,
which is proof of two things: first,
that the Republican party is for the
people, and second, that the aboli-
ton of duty on spirits would not
increase the consumption of whis-
key. For certainly the whiskey
manufacturers would not oppose a
policy that would increase its sales.
Morally, the proposition of the re-
peal of the internal revenue tax is
received with favor by those who
are most strenuously opposed to the
sale of intoxicants, and with dis
favor by those who have a monopo-
ly of the manufacture of intoxi-
cants.
The last grand attack by Mr..
Jones in his article is, "that for
some time the capacity of this
country to produce has exceeded its
power to consume, and the unreason-
able profits of manufacturers were
endangered through home competi-
ton. When this danger appeared
the manufacturers promptly rein
forced the tariff by the trust.
These are the powers which
the Republican party declares must
not be molested." If this statement
is willful Mr.. Jones is misjudged.
The Republican party by its plat
form does not offer protection to
trusts. Read its plank:
We declare our opposition 10 all combna-
tons Of capital organized as trusts or other
wise TO COntrOle arbitrarily the condition Of
trade among our citizens and we recommend
TO congress and the state legislatures, in their
respective Jurisdictions, such legislation as
will prevent the execution of all schemes 10
Cypress the people by undue charges on their
supplies, or by unjust rates for the transporta.
ton OF their property to market. We approve
legislation by congress TO prevent alike unjust
burdens and unfair Determinations between
states.
Neither does the tariff system
foster trusts, as insinuated by Mr..
Jones in chorus with his party,
Here, as elsewhere, facts are against
him, as will be seen by a glance at
history past and present:
"Trusts," or "pools," or combina-
tons by whatever name, are far
from being modern contrivances for
controlling prices, and are by no
means confined to the United States.
In fact the "trust" of to-day is OF
English origin; and unfortunately
for the free trade advocates pur
pose, did not come into prominence
in England until lS4S-two years
after the adoption by that nation of
her existing free trade policy. This
combination was in the tin mining
district of Cornwall and Devonshire
and was intended to affect the price
of metal ON which there was nc
tariff.
Coming down to the present, the
great copper "trust," which recently
succeeded in carrying up prices tC
an unprecedented figure, originated
in France, where there are no cop
per mines to protect. England
to-day has a coal oil trust, though
no coal oil well, and no tariff OF
coal oil. Canad l, like ourselves, has
a sugar trust, while allowing Suga
to enter her ports free of duty
Here in the United States our mos
formidable "trust" is the STANDARD
Oil Company, with coal oil on tn,
free list. ct may be well to remem
Der that the present Secretary o
the Navy is a member of Thu
Standard Oil combination.) Then
again, we have the coffee "trust,
which has succeeded in materially
increasing the price of coffee within
the past year and half, while
every one who cares to inquire
knows that coffee has been on thu
free list since 1878.
In the face of facts like these, i
is daily charged that "trusts"-in
herited from England, and flourish
inc rs never before under the pres