Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-10-29


more profitable use. The S75000,OO0
each year would swell our domestic COM
merce by at least four times that
amount. If we had produced our own
sugar instead of gold having been ex-
ported during the past three years-an
export that has widely hurt our indus
tries and business-gold would have been
imported. for the more than one hundred
million dollars of gold or its equivalent
sent abroad each year for sugar would
have been kept at home.
Home or Foreign Wool. which?
All these advantages-the use of land,
the employment of labor. the increase of
domestic commerce and of our crculat-
ing medium, the retention of gold
would follow also from "A production Of
the 30. 100000 pounds of wool that we
annually import under the Wilson law;
a production that would follow from the
steady and continued aid of such protec-
ton as was given by the Mckinley law.
Surely so far as tariff legislation is con-
cerned, the farmer. whether he regards
only his own interests or looks beyond
them to the interest of his country. will
have no difficulty in deciding which par
ty should have his vote. His decision
will be all the easier and surer because
of the record of the candidates for Presi-
dent. Mr. Bryan declared in Congress,
January -. 1894. 1T is immaterial in
my judgment whether the sheep-grower
receives any benefit from the tariff or
not / am for free wool" He
voted for free wool, for the repeal Of the
sugar bountes and for the abrogation Of
the reciprocity arrangements. Mr.. Nc.
Hinley, il is needless 10 say, has been
and is, in favor of reciprocity, just pro-
lection To wool and other farm products,
and such reasonable encouragement of
out beet-sugar industry as other coun-
tries have found profitable. In con.
trast with what Mr.. Bryan said about
tariff on wool is what Mr.. Mckinley said
when introducing bis tariff bill into the
House:
If there Is any one industry which appeals
with more force than another for defensive
duties IL Is this, and to no class Of citizens
should this House more cheerfully lend legls.
latiye assistance where Ii can properly be
done. than To the million farmers who own
sheep In the United States. We cannot af-
ford as nation to permit this industry 10
De longer crippled.
This shows Mr. Mckinley's regard for
the welfare of agricultural industries;
and Mr.. Bryan, also, may be judged by
his utterances on the same subject.
Republicans and Trusts.
Farmers have been consistently and
persistently opposed to trusts This hos
tility has been exaggerated in the voci-
ferrous and sweeping denunciations of
trusts by the Populists The farmers of
this country are well aware that there
are more trusts that, while nearly and
quite controlling the production and sale
of certain articles to their sure and lib
eral profit. have nevertheless. by reason
of the economies of the aggregation of
capital, the employment of best talent in
directing, and of producing and hand
ling large quantities, made the prices of
the articles to the consumers less than
they were before and probably less than
hnNT l.. Al
existence. Nevertheless, the farmers of
this country believe that the principles
underlying trusts are wrong and that in
the aggregate trusts are a serious injury
to business and WELD a power that will
present 10 human nature temptation too
strong TO be resisted, except i'm n few
cases, to us; that power with political
parties and legislative bodies. for i'm.
proper ends: in short, that the trust is an
enemy 10 the people and a menace to the
nation, there being some exceptions TO
prove the rule. Representative agricul-
tural bodies have very frequently con-
demned trusts and asked for legislation
that would end them, or at the least.
would subject their affairs to such nublic
knowledge and control as would remove
their power for evil. \ representative
agricultural body has never pronounced
in favor of trusts. The position of the
farmer rs regards trusts is that occupied
by our economists and by nearly all orr
population, hence, il is sanctioned Inv
scientific research and reasoning and by
the common sense In accord with tho
wishes of farmers and in compliance
with their requests. the Fifty-first Con
gress, which was the first Congress Ro-
publican in both branches since trusts
had assumed prominence in this country
FASTENED at its first session to pass IA
bill TO protect trade and commerce
n "a ftnl .tt.ts.
lies, which declares that:
Every contract. combination in form 81,
trust or otherwise, or conspiracy i'm re
straint Of trade or commerce among tho
hereby declared to be Illegal Every person
VINO SHAH make any such contract or engage
IN any such combination or conspiracy shall
be deemed guilty OF misdemeanor and on
conviction thereof, shall be punished by a
line not exceeding $1,000 or by lmprison.
ment not exceeding one year. or by both ~
sald punlshments In the discretion of the
Every person who shall monopoIize or
shall attempt to monopOlize or combine or
cohsplre with any other person or persons
10 monopoiize any part of the trade or
commerce among the several states
or with foreign nations. shall be puiify
. OF a misdemeanor and on conviction thereof
snail be punished by fine not excepding
$4,000, or by Imprisonment not exceeding one
year. or by both said punishments. i'm tbe
discretion of the court.
ever used In this act, shall be deemed 70 IN.
clude corporations and associations existing
under or authorized by the laws Of eItber
the United States, the laws OF any ~ fha
territories the laws of any state or tho
laws Of any foreign country.
This act is SO comprehensive in its daf;-
milton of a trust. which il made ILLEGAL
that it was clearly the purpose of those
who made II law, that no trust should
escape.
Democracy and Trusts
Contrast with the action of the Fifty.
first Congress the action of the Fifty.
third Congress-the first one Democratic
in both branches since trusts nttoinad
TO prominence in this cOuntry-wbicb az
its regular session. put into the Golfer ~
the Sugar trust. by means of the Wilson
law, a bonus of $4,000. 900 on tho sngar
then in its hands: and by the Same IL :,
made profit for the Whisky trust Of
about S10O00,000 on the whisky Will.
drawn from bond after it became cor.
tain that the tax on whisky would ho
increased and before the law went int
effect, and, in addition. the Wilson In ~
increased the allowance for wnstoge
while i'm bond and heightened the bonded
perior from three TO eight years Tho
Fifty-third Congress hgislated oyoins,
trusts. but only those of which imnort,
ers are members and which deol in IN.
ported articles Domestic trusts have 70
manned undisturLed 10y Democratic Icgis
lation No effort has been made nv tLo
Democratic administration to enforce ,ho
antitrust legislation Of either tbn E;e,