The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-02-14
4 FRIGHTFUL EXAMPLE.

q FRIGHTFUL. EXAMPLE.
our republican friends are not pouring
in their answers to our inquiry as to the
foreign price Of agricultural implements.
Some of them have made denials that
these articles were sold cheaper abroad
than at home. and some have said that
it was foolish to talk about selling
cheaper abroad than al home on account
os the great competition here. In order
TO give those of the latter class little
more food for thought we wovld ask this
simple questions Did YOU eve~ hear of
trust? If SO. you can easily imagine
how prices may be kept out of the reach
of competition in this country. Let us
take however, for Illustration, a tool
that is in use in every form in America
the AK. Is there an AK trust? There is.
In 1892 Senator Aldrich indignantly de-
MED this statement in the senate of the
United States, and in corroboration Of
his denial read this letter:
NEW YORK. July 20, 1892.
The Hon. Nelson ". Aldrich
Replying To yours to Underhll edge
tool company, no trust controls produc-
ton or prices of axes. which are lower
than ever before American manufact-
urers supply the world.
AMERICAN AK AND TOOL co.
This is doubly interesting, for while it
denies the existence Of a trust, it also
admits that American manufacturers
supply the world" and therefore there is
no excuse in the world for the Mckinley
duty of 45 per cent. which is imposed
for the protection of our AK manufact-
urers from the competition of foreign
ax-makers. who cannot compete with
them in foreign countries. Now, why
was that duty imposed? OF what use
was it? Why should the manufacture
of axes be protected" in this country
when there is nothing from which it
needs protection?
In October. 1892, Mr.. George W. Fran
els, who had been a manufactured OF
axes, but who had joined the trust
(Which did not exist, and whose works
at Buffalo had been closed down by the
trust, gave some interesting informa-
ton on this subject. In an interview
published in the Buffalo Courier Of Oct
"a, 1892, he says:
The trust called the American AK and
tool company was formed in January,
1890, and embraces fourteen factories,
and all the principal ones in this country.
Five of these factories are now shut
"a
atoms had been suspended in these,
which include his own.
when I went into this trust" he said,
lit was done with the expectation that
my factory would not be shut down.
When the trust was first formed prices
were advanced 81 a dozen on axes
opposed this advance StrenuOusly, but
the majority believed that higher prices
could be maintained. The consumption
Of the product was curtailed as we'll as
the production"
This very institution which denied to
Senator Aldrich that there was a trust
was itself the trust, and by the testi-
mony of this acknowledged member Of
that trust it is proven that the price
Of axes was advanced 81 per dozen in
this country when foreign competition
was shut out by the tariff wall Was
the price advanced abroad? Not a bit
of it. The trust was endeavoring to ex-
tend its foreign trade in every way. Mr..
Francis further proceeded to state the
following SIMPLE truths:
We must have larger foreign markets,
and to enlarge our exports we must have
free raw material. Under the present
tariff, as soon as business improves, the
trusts will be ail-powerful. When high
er prices can be maintained, the trusts
will increase them. The only way 70
make the trusts harmless is to reduce
the tariff SO as to permit foreign compe-
tition.
The whole tendency of taxes on raw
material is to depreciate the quality of
goods. This tariff question has become a
question of right and wrong. When a
majority of the people understand it as
1 do, they will rise up in their might and
break down the excessive tariff. All
this talk about free trade" is rank non
sense. and is INDUCED in by demagogues
and dishonest men who know better The
requirements in the way of revenue
make necessary all the tariff that is
needed for any honest purpose.
There is not a manufacturer I'm the
country who does not know that with
free raw material America can compete
with any country on the face of the