, 1890-10-10
PLEASE DON z,

There is something truly pathetic in
Senator Sherman's appeal to the protect
ed trust and combines not TO take ad-
vantage of the Mckinley ftanff, but to
break up and 60 TO competing with each
other like good fellows. According 10 the
reports in the morning papers:
Mr.. Sherman closed his speech with
some words OF warning and advice to the
beneiciaries Of the pew tariff. He wa
earnest enough in his manner to indicate
that be is not at all confident as to the
outcome of the law. The great thing that
stood in the way Of the Success OF the bill,
be said, was whether or not the manufac-
turers Of this country would permit free
competition 10 the American market
The danger was that the beneticiaues Of
the bill would combine and cheat tho peo-
ple out of the benefits Of the law
They were now given reasonable
and ample protection. and If they wouli
resist the temptation attaching to great
a-ggregations OF capital to combine and ad-
vance prices, they might hope for n sea-
son of great prosperity. But Mr. Sber
man warned them that, II they vent into
pools and combinations and made cor
ners. they would so offend the people
luaN tut lIDNllkAh0 1lAAh hOAln aAnhUVNal
with great rApidity. He did hope, the
senator concluded. that the manuiactur-
ers would open the doors to fair competi-
ton and give its benefits to the people
IF they do not" said Mr.. Sherman. Il
shall be as ready to vote for the repeal Of
this law as 1 am o ready to vote for it.
If this is not a complete ''%giye-away' Of
the Mckinley bill, we DO not understand
the English language, says the New York
Eoeaiag Post The trusts and combines
began their operations under the shelter
of the tariff three years age, the sugar
trust being the first in the field. Then
came the lead trust, followed BY the COZ
ton bagginR. the binding Irvine, the plate
glass, the linseed oil, the window glass,
and ever so many more. The Republican
newspapers began to threaten them with
all sorts Of penalties if they did not de
sist, and Senator Sherman made a speech
in which be said that he should have no
hesitation 10 voting TO remove all duties
from any a~rtisle which was male the sub
ject Of monopoly in this manner.
The EDeHia1 Post took leave to PORT
out that the Republican party could not
do anything of the kind, its platform and
its cash box being committed to the oppo-
site policy. IL has turned out as we pre-
dicted. Not only have the duties on the
trusted articles not been repealed in a
single instance. not even on sugar, but in
many cases (notablg linseed oil and cotton
~bageing) they have been increased. And
now Senator Sherman himself votes for
these things and then gets up in the SEN
ate and solemnly warns these combines"
not to take the plans thrown into their
laps, but to separate and compete vigoi-
ously with each other, because if they do
not, he (Sherman) will some day "be as
ready TO vote for the repesl of this law as
he is now ready to vote for it," We can
imagine the derision with which this
speech will be received by the trustf.
Their idea from the beginning has been
that even if the Mckinley bill docs not
stand long in the statute book, there are
several years Of good stealing under it,
A bird in the hand Is worth two IN the
bush.