The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1890-10-17
ITHe sMeLL OF MoNoPo-Y.-


So~-rhs Blow ut monopoly Then. ami
the Aid 1t Gets Now.
Tssif history, like other history, re-
peats itself. In the fiscal years 1871
and 1879 a surplus of something like
e1o0, 0,O, 900 had accumulated as the re-
suit Of war duties which had not been
reduced There was then no party SO
extravagant as to make it its one vital
principle that the true way to mako the
people prosp porous is to tax them enor-
mously beyond the needs of the Govern
ment and then squander the surplus
by appropriations of the most profiigate
character. There was no Tom Reed at
the helm then to boast that they had
got rid of the surplus by spending it
The majority of the Republican party
was at that time in favor of the common
sense view that the way to get rid of q
surplus is to reduce taxation. Then, as
now, there was strong tariff reform
wave sweeping over the Republican
party in the West; and nearly all the
Repu blican Congressman from the West
went to Washington in 1872 with de-
termination to reduce the tariff.
Mr. Dawes, of Massachusetts, was
then in the position now occupied by
Major Mckinley, chairman of the Ways
and Means Committee of the House As
a Representative of New England he
was opposed to a reduction of the tariff,
for the highest possible protection 1t
is interesting to note that this Same
Mr.. Dawes, now Senator from Massa-
chusetts, has begun to see the
tariff in different light, now
that New England has ceased
to reap a benefit in all directions from
the highest form of protection. and her
manufacturers have, in fact begun to cry
aloud for free raw materials This same
Mr.. Dawes said of the Mckinley bill, in
the Senate on August 6, that ''he recog-
nized that change of sentiment in New
England" and that nobody felt more
sensibly than he did the inequalities
and injustices of features of the pending
bill" After saying this he voted with
the Democrats to reduce the duty on
iron ore.
But in 1872 New England's views on
tariff reform were different from what
they are to-day, and so Mr.. Dawes held
different viewa too at that time. AL
though he was chairman of the Ways
and Means Committee he did not sue
ceed in shaping such bill as he wanted
for his own dear New England; and
hence he left to Western member the
task of defending the bill that was con-
structed in accordance with Western
ideas
This was Mr. Finkelnberg, of Mis-
souri, In defending the tariff reduction
in he made use OF language in striking
contrast with the sentiments of the pro-
lection party to-day. He said that the
committees measure was intended
merely "to d,vest some industries of
the superabundant protection. which
smells of monopoly, and which it was
never intended they should enjoy after
the war"
But McKinley's duties have that very
odor-they smell of monopoly" As
soon after the war as 1872 Mr.. Finkeln-
berg, speaking for his party's Ways and
Means Committee, said that it was
never intended that our industries
should enjoy war duties after the war.
Now what do we find wenty-five years
few men left in the Repub-
lican party who talk as Mr..
Finkelnburg did against war duties
| and ''the smell of monopoly" are
| looked upon with suspicion and de-
| nounced as assistant Democrats" Nc
| Kinley comes forward with duties high
er than the country has ever known
| far higher even than under the storm
and stress of the civil war-and has the
| assurance to defend these exorbitant
duties by telling the people that when
merchandise is cheapest men are poor
est" and therefore I'VE want no return
| to cheap times in our own country"
ami HIS Ia gh tar If associates. trusts arc
| Swinging up aboat Us ike crab-grass
after a spring shower Old trusts arc
confirmed in their possessions, and in
many cases get higher protection.
The linseed oil trust gets some of this
''superabundant protection which smells
of monopoly" Three years ago tho
price of linseed oil was almost as low
| here in England Then the trust
was formed and prices were put up to
| the highest point that the duty of rs
Ger IS a gallon would permit At present
our people are paying almost twice the
English price, and only five or six
thousand dollars worth were bought
| last year, owing 10 the duty.
| AS the trust has complete control of
the homo market, and as the combin
| ton con tatns 81 per cent of the linseed
oil mil in the country, one would
think that they might at least continue
| to thrive on the existing duty The
trust did not even ask for higher duty,
SO far the published reports show,
but Mckinley apparently likes duties
which smell of monopoly" and
accordingly he raised the duty on lin
seed oil from % cents gallon to sc
cents As if this yet did not smell
strongly enough of monopoly the SEN
ate put it up to 80 cents a gallon Thai
| gives the trust a total of cents for fu-
ture juggling with prices
| Tho sugar trust, too, was we'll pro-
| vided for. Tho difference between the
duty on raw sugar and refined sugar,
| which completes with the trust, was
made greater than at present; SO that
although the people may get the benefit
| of the cheaper sugar, the trust will act
uany reap greater profits than ever.
| The. president of the sugar trust,
Theodore F. Havemeyer. has the same
views about high prices as Mckinley
himself bas-they both think that high
| prices are best The trust simply aims
| to reach the same result as that aimed
at by Mckinley. Indeed. the trust has
not failed to see that their aims are the
same and to point out the sbsurdity Of
any protectionist Directing to trust
| prices
Last winter the president of the
| sugar trust said: THE great cry of one
of the great parties is for protection
| that is. they cry for it loudly during
campaigns But when we proceed L
give ourselves some protection a how
is raised They demand protection fol