The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1892-08-05
TARIFF REFORM NO REMEDY,


An Indiana republican calls upon the
Indianapolis journal for facts to put
down those peoples party men who
point, as he says, to the tariff for the
appearance of so many millionaires
The Journal replies that facts have no
more effect upon third party men than
'ssix-gun battery would have upon q
fog bank or battalion of ghosts"
Permit us to say that the peoples party
has taken no position on the tariff for
the reason that privete fortunes are
being made to-day mainly by means Of
trusts, combinations, the tonopoly of
gold by Wall street spectators, and
the exploiting of freight transportation
by reckless money-makers
Take the Journal state, for instance,
where, there are thirty-seven million
aires. Eleven OF. these men made their
money largely in real estate-that is,
by gambling on the probable growth Of
towns and sections. Eight became rich
as bankers, thanks to theory Of legis-
lation that places in the hands of few
the monopoly of issuing currency. Ten
made their money in railroading, as a
result Of the reckless granting of public
franchises to private parties. Others
have grown rich by gambling in stocks
There are in New York city 1857
millionaires, and the number will null
tiply whether we have protection or
free trade. Erastus Wiman, for in
stance is a tariff reformer. He sees
nothing in lower duties to limit the
scope Of his speculations There would
remain to him Staten Island, where, by
railroading and real estate speculations,
he made pretty penny. He has won
handsomely also in telegraph deals,
and will doubtless repeat his successes
so long as the business OF commpnica-
ton and transportation remains in the
hands of private parties; and it will so
| remain, we fear, until the peoples party
gets it's growth. Mr., Wiman1 is also
understood to have reaped another
| fortune in the school book trust, the or
| ganization Of which threw hundreds Of
| small dealers into bankruptcy and
dashed many publishing houses upon
the rocks. He is also a director
in the Western Union Telegraph
Co., and as such would fight
for either the republican or demo-
cratic party rather than see the peoples
| party in power, commissioned to hand
the telegraph business over to the gov
eminent to be run by the people for the
people. What folly to talk tariff in
view of these monstrous perversions Of
| political economy expounded by the old
parties!
Take, again, Cornelius Vanderbilt.
If asked which he would prefer, re-
duced' tariff or the return of railroad
franchises to the public-how could he
make but one answer? He is president
of the Canadian Southern and the Mich
| igan Central railroad, director of the
New York Central & Hudson River rail-
road, the New York & Harlem, the
West Shore, the Dunkirk, Allegheny &
Pittsburgh, the Lake Shore & Michigan
Southern, the Chicago, st. Paul, Mime
apolis & Omaha, the Chicago & st.
Louis, and other railroads, as well as
| director of the Mutual Gas Light, the
| Union Trust and otherrpowerful compa-
MES. Mr.. Vanderbilt is one of the
richest men In the world, made so by
the direct votes of the people, who fill
| legislatures with men bent upon sur
rendering public franchises and fortify-
| ing the positions of private trusts.
A reduction of the tariff would put
premium upon still closer COM
| binations. An increase of the tar
if would not disturb Vanderbilts
property in an appreciate degree. 1t
is within the range of proba bilities to
! say that Mr.. Vanderbilt's various prop
critics have been fortified by four hun
dred acts of legislatures. He could
| give, if required, 100000 for each act,
and then have enough money left to
make him sixty times a millionaire.
Let no American voter turn the walls
Goulds and their associate millionaires.
These wealthy men have been chartered
by the easy-going public to make money
! and they have exercised the privileges
conferred upon them by due process of
| legislation The Vanderbilts are
wealthy because the laborer, She farmer
and the average business man have
voted them wealth. The responsibility
must be traced to majority of the
! voters.
| We have reached point in our his
tory where neither Of the old parties
can give relief Both organizations are
dominated by corporations. President
Harrison offers the state department to
Vanderbilt's salaried attorney, and if
Mr.. Cleveland were making a cabinet,
he would find at his elbow, Whitney,
Grace, and quite as pushing and sell
fish coterie of money makers.
If the signs Of the times are not mis-
leading, the American people are about
to revolutionize the theory of legisla-
ton. They are upon the point of call
ing to power men who, like Ulysses,
! find little stomach to
| Mete and dole
Unequal laws unto a selfish race
That hoard and sleep and feed
men who will estimate a law by its
equal application to all classes and all
men, and who will be content with
nothing until we have democracy in
business as we have in theory, at least
a democracy in citizenship.-New Ma
ton.