Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-08-07

men, we have only to consider. briefly
the action of the senate the other day on
the product OF one trust, the white lead
| trust.
By way of premise, it may be well to
say that months ago number of Repuo-
lican leaders, not the least OF whom was
John Sherman, and several of the most
influential tariff organs supporting them,
said that wherever trust combinations
were formed so as to prevent COMPETE
ton or the reduction OF price of any pro-
duct, the entire duty If need be, levied
on such product, should be removed.
"Let such trusts be struck down at the
custom house, exclaimed the New York
Tribune, and the Globe-Democrat.
Amen, echoed a number of party lead
ers, ana amen, responded every taxed
and burdened consumer in the land.
The sugar trust was specially singled
ont by the leaders and organs OF the e.
o. p. as peculiarly odIous and dangerous.
1t robbed the people of millions annu-
ally. 1t was mammoth octopus that
should no longer enjoy Federal aid.
Down with the sugar tariff said they,
and down it went-that is, the tariff on
raw sugar went, but enough was left
through trickery on the refined article to
leave the trust in q more favorable situa-
.
legations IN a good round sum of CAM
paign slush in 1892.
There is another trust, however, that
is far more powerful than the sugar
trust; how did the party treat that,
when the tariff on its product was under
consideration In the senate the other
day? We speak now of the white lead
trust, whose capitalized stock is $780,
0OO, 900, and whose product enjoys pro-
teotive tariff of three cents pound,
equal to 20 per cent. al valorem. Last
year only $50 200 worth of white lead
was imported, so it will be seen that the
traiff of three cents pound is practically
prohibitory. The white lead trust has en-
tire and absolute control of the home
market. 1t controls not only the mar
ket, but every white lead factory worthy
of the name in the country. Its capi-
talization is double that of the sugar
trust, and competition with it is abso-
lutely nil. There is, or can be none.
Its monopoly Is as complete, and q thou
sand times moro gigantic, than any that
fourished by virtue of kingly favor I'M
der the English Charleses.
If ever q monopoly or trust deserved
to be taken down q few pegs, it was the
lead trust. Yet when the Democrats in
the senate asked for q reduction only of
the white lead tariff and argued that il
was ubiquitous In any government to
shield and protect such a pampered and
insolent monstrosity the answer was
solid Republican vote In favor of the
white lead prohibitory tariff. Not even
Senator Plumb, whose tariff reform rant
q few DAYS ago astouished a few simple
minded folk, felt that the time had
yet come when the people "should have
their lnning' on the subject of white
lead.
And this is fair sample of the manner
in which the Republicans propose to
down the trusts. What do the people
think of it2 Just what they think, we
suppose, of John Sherman's antitrust
bill that went through the senate with
flourish some weeks ago, and that is as
worthless as an ice factory in Iceland.
A bill intended only for buncombe and
political effect, aud not to hurt a hair in
the head of any trust, big or little.