The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1892-03-05
Tariffs Support Trusts.

AS rule protection advocates
are not close reasoners. Freight i
a factor in fixing the price at which
goods can be cold, when transported
from one country to another, thai
they never take into consideration
although it necessarily adds to the
cost and, therefore, to the selling
price of the article. Just what this
| item of freight amounts to is not
easily arrived at, but an intelligent
business man with whom we con-
versed on the subject few years
ago, and who had been thirty five
years a successful merchant, put
the average for all classes of goods
at u per cent. This is an expense
that is not incurred by the home
manufacturer, and is an unavoida-
BILE protection, machinery, quality
of goods and the like being equal.
But still another perfectly proper
and legitimate source of protection
exists, and is readily available to
the manufacturer, were he disposed
to profit himself by applying it.
Transportation companies claim
that the carrying. business does not
pay at present rates, and are always
clamoring for subsidies to make
their business profitable. Why not
combine with these and double the
freight rates? The consumers would
have to pay it, and if they quadru-
pied it, the fact would be the same.
And this would make both the
manufacturer and transporter indie
pendent Of government favors, and
put both of their occupations upon
paying bases-make the business of
both self-supporting. Any business
conducted for 65,O0O,OOO people
will pay when properly managed, if
only proper number of people are
engaged in it, and when the laws
interference is removed the demands
of the business or occupation will
the number of persons who
shall continue in it by denying sue
cess to the excess. AS many as are
needed will succeed, the rest will
fail. This is a natural law Of trade
and all statutory interferences with
it's operations are infringements
upon the rights, liberties and OPP
oortunities of the individual. They
benefit the few whose foresight have
procured their enactment, but harm
he multitude whom they tax indi-
ectly, numerically and clandes-
inely, not for the uses Of govern
nent. but for the benefit Of the
ortunate few who are favored by
he law, and are therefore class leg
Station, which is unrepublican and
But under such a system there
would be no room for trusts. Under
UGH system there could be no
obber combinations maintained to
eat labor out of its profits. Under
UGH system men Of small means
nd fair business ability can enter
nto trade or manufacturing enter
rises and not be crushed out by a
indicate of wealthy cormorants
Tho desire to monopolize the bust
ess they are in, and are enabled
. monopolize it by unjust and .
surping laws. For under a system !
f trade untrammelled by laws, de- /,
hand alone would control supply !
nd perfect freedom of distribution
ould make corners impossible, by !:
irecting the efforts of the manu-
lcturer and exporter constantly to 2
re market Offering the best prices.
I, for instance, men combined to Q
dvance the price of coal at Chicago :
nd were successful to day, the tel I
graph would carry the news to 9
4 parts of the country and such Il
ream of coal would pour into that :
arket as would at once destroy the a
'mbination. 1t is only when tariffs =
e maintained that trusts are able =
exist. They limit competition, =
I'D thus suggest and support COM q