The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1892-07-30
i TRUSTS AND PROTECTION.

. nder the heading OF "What Re-
venue Tariff Wonld Do and in rela-
tion 10 a long list oi trusts" which it
publishes, the Last 0regonian says:
Repeal the Mckinley law and bring tie
tariff to n revenue basis, and these trusts.
the children of protection, would go out
| of existence.
Further on il says:
These are not all the trusts in the coun-
| try by any means. They are merely the
list of one hundred prepared bv Congress.
man Warner for the New York World, and
| cited by Senator Vest in his crushing reply
| of June 2Sth to Senator Hale's resolution
| ex.olling the effects of protection on indus
try and wages. Every one of the hundred
| is the result of a tarlf-a creature of Me-
Kinleyism. Under tariff for revenue only
| these trusts would be b, oxen. domestic com.
! petition compelled, more goods produced,
| more men employed and higher wages paid.
TRUSTS" are simply the combina-
tions of capitalists, engaged In manu-
featuring and productive industries,
for the same object that la6orers con-
bine in unions, and these again into
amalgamated associations. There is
no violation of law for railroad cor
porations to combine, neither is there
for any class of iaborers. 1t must be
admitted that in many instances great
hardships result, as in the Homestead
strike, where the wages of only 325
men-and they receiving almost
princely salaries-were effected by Mr..
Carnegie's action, and 3,475, who re-
ceived the lowest pay, were compelled
by the amalgamated association to quit
work and thus reduce themselves and
families to starvation. The 1876, whose
wages were reduced, could we'll afford
to ego out, for they had comfortable
homes and the means to support their
families, but the loss of {. weeks work
with ordinary laborers, whose
wages remained the same, meaht
poverty for their families. TRUSTS"
are more burdensome upon the people
than even "amalgamated associations"
but while capital has selfish interests
to subserve it will combine for these
purposes, and it makes little difference
whether the nation pursues free
trade or protected policy.
In looking over this ''list" we find
articles mentioned in which the "trust"
is not all powerful to shut out compe-
tition. The casket and burial goods
manufacture is one of these, and in
this city there is one firm-and we
believe two in the county-in which
the articles are purchased from oppo-
sition companies. There are many
others, we believe, in which there is
successful competition, such as biscuit |
and crackers, boots and shoes. brooms,
fruit jars-except where they are pro-
tected by patent rights = wrapping |
paper, etc. In fact, any article can be
manufactured if sufficient capital can
be procured 10 inaugurate the industry,
and "trusts" effect nothing if goods
can be made at q lower price. 1t is
true, perhaps, that in the large iron
and steel industries, the amount of
money required to purchase the plant
and keep the works in operation, made
combinations of capitalists necessary,
and these would never have been in
operation If it had not been for the
economic system pursued by the Re-
publican party. Nearly all the fac
tories in the United States came into
existence through the fostering care of
and the hundreds of thous-
ands of wage-earners now. given en-
ployment would be earning lIveli-
hood on farms or tramping the high
ways as beggars, but for its beneficial
effects.
The fallacy of "these combines rails.
ng the price of manufactured goods,
10 that the consumer gets less for
;he same amount of money!"
8 apparent to any falr-mlnded man. :
Il the "trusts" have good thing and /
he article can be manufactured at t
air profit for less price-after pay t
ng for the raw material and the rul- :
ng wages-bY competitive companies, 4
hese would soon be organized. There U
an be no monopoly in such articles as :
oots and shoes, brooms, coffins, tomb
tones, whips and very many others r
,entioned in the long list. The basis
act of the whole matter is, that in
ny business in which there are good "
rofts there is certain to be competi- I
ion, and competition will follow COM h
etition until the gains are reduced to
ne minimum. This has been true of
lmost every manufactured article in
,e United States, and our people can ,,
urchase the conveniences and neces- :,
ties of life as cheaply as they can be b
urchased in any country. fl
" p
NATURAL RESULTS. y