Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-01-18
ApLEA FOR TRUSTS.

| The minority report of the Hon.
Thomas B. Reed and his republican
associates on the ways and means CONF
] mittee may properly be denonlinated
plea for trusts. Its recommendation
are not only against the interest and
welfare of the great body of people
of the Tilted States, but they would.
if adopted by Congress, tend still fur
Their to establish the grip and control of
monopolies upon production. transpor-
tation and markets in this couptry and
to enslave the working men. Who is
it that is really clamoring today for
continuation of the Mckinley tariff
policy? Surely, not the great mass of
consumers. Not the small and infant
industries. Not the farmers who re-
ceive no protection in return for the
heavy taxes which they pay upon every
| thing they buy, and whose agricultural
products make up seventy two per cent
of the total exports of the Uuited States.
Not the labor organizations, for they
have discovereds that the increased
prices of home manufactured products
go into the pockets of the trust barons
and make them the more invulnerable
against all organized effort of the la
boring class to increase their wages
and better their condition.
The real benehciaries of the Mckinley
tariff policy are the fgreat monopolies
like the Carnegie Company and the
Sugar Rehners, trust, which have per-
fected their plans under the high pro-
tective tariff system to destroy all the
smaller industries, absolutely crush
out competition, control the American
markets. and limit production and reg
ulate wages. They desire no foreign
| markets if they can have ttAmerican
markets exclusively for themselves and
can control prices. They can then die
tate not only to the consumers, but to
1.-THE laboring men also. If they can
build a Chinese wall around the COM
merce of the United States, it is mat
ter of small import to them what price
Farmers receive for wheat The mar
kets will be large enough for their pur-
pose even though they be restricted.
The crocodile tears which Mr.. Reed
shed for the laboring man are mixed
with genuine fountains that are in
duced to flow at the prospect of the
doom of the trusts which have been the
chief constructors to and supporters OF
the republican party.
The statement of Mr.. Reed that 1--WE
must meet the price of foreign goods.
which are ouracompetitors, by reduc
ton of the price of labor, :" is more bun
come. The unanimous testimony o.
all respectable and honest American
manufacturers is that they can compete
with the manufacturers of any country
on earth if they be not, compelled te
lpay tax upon the raw materials OF IN
dustry, Let them buy where the.
please and they can undersell the worlt
without any reduction of wages. ane
. that by reason of the superior skill ant
Industry of American laborers.
!. He predicts disaster under the Wilson
!, bill, but passes in silence over the fac
: that the woods imported by the Ameri
can wooden manufacturer are of a kline
/ and quality that are not and can no
. be grown in this country, and whose
free importation will increase the us
!. of and demand for the American pro
e duct. And he passes in silence owe
the further historical fact that tn
2 higher the tariff on wool has been tn
y lower has been the price which tn
American wool-grower has receives
Z for his product, and that the presen
!. price Of American wool under the sspro
lection" OF the Mckinley bill is tn
3 lowest ever known.
AS for the cotton growing states
h they all voted for a reduction of tn
. tariff and none of them up to the pres
r emit time have petitioned either Mr.
! Reed or Mr.. Mckinley to champion
their interests.
The country viii be entirely satisfied
!. if Mr.. Reed will confne his effort t.
4 the championship of trusts and imonop
olies as he has done in the past, ant
. leave the interests of the people to tn
protection and care of the democratic
majority in Congress which was chosel
!, to represent them.-Kansas City Star
\ THE Pitfsburp Messenger. saws