Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-12-21
THE ERA OFF TRIJS rs.

AHoC Sldiu oIu relldDlo RepuDllCdn
paper, founded and built up by the late
George W. Childs, the PHILADELPHIA
Ledger, which is strongly protectionist
and advocated the election of Mckinley
with unparalleled fervor, for it's staid
columns, has taken alarm at the pres
ent condition of things in the indus
trial world. 1t calls attention to the
fact that within the past few weeks
there has been strong evidence of a
trust revival in important branches of
trade, and that these new combinations
n0nnarn Of
of life, articles of universal use IN
every American household. And the
Ledger continues with the following
remarkable confession: "The creation
of these monopolistic bodies has been
promoted and fostered by the Dingley
act. the many excessive duties Of which
render such combinations in restraint
of trade possible and profitable to their
promoters. That act, which has al
ready dumped many millions of dollars
into the Golfers of the Sugar Trust, en-
abling it to pay a IL per cent dividend
regularly and a large extra one occa-
| sionally, is responsible for at least nine
| teen of every twenty of the comblna-
| tons formed under it..
What else could the Ledger have ex-
pected? 1t advocated the election OF
a man mortgaged to his eyes to these
verv trusts, monopolies and combina-
lions. The Dingley bill was simply
the payment of these campaign debts
contracted by the Mckinley manager,
Mark Hanna. From the hour OF his
acceptance of the Republican nomina-
ton, gained for him by these very in
fiuences. Mr. Mckinley ceased to be his
own man He put his principles on
the coinage question behind him and
on all other questions surrendered abb
jectly to the plutocracy, with which ne
has kept faith ever since.
Telling the infamous history or the
old wire nail trust, the Philadelphia
Record says:
The price of nails was then advanced
(by the trusO nearly 800 per cent-that IS,
from so cents to over $500 per keg. A
tax of $3.50 was levied on every keS OF
nails sold. which sum was pala into one
rata among all the mills. Between one
and two million dollars was distributed
from this fund within the f1rst Twelve
months The extravagant price of $50 a
keg attracted outsiders to enter the helo
and manufacture nails in competition
with the trust. 1t was then discovered
| that many of the manufacturers of mai
making machinery had been practically
| bribed by the trust not 70 sell their ma
chimes to any customer OUTSIDE OF the
wire nail com bination. Finally. however
the methods of the managers of this trus
grew to be so VIGOROUSLY grasping thai
the more timd members became alarmed
at the prospect of legal complications
Protests of such persons were unheeded
then internal dissensions arose. and tn,
combina ton broke up. The wholesale
price of nails fell to a reasonable figure
but not to the extremely low point of s
cents a key, the lowest notch ever reach
ed.
This monstrous combination is nov
to be revived under the protecting wing
of the Dingley tariff. H. w. Oliver. o
Pittsburg, is said to be the head of tn
scheme. The Iron Trade Review in
recent issue, outlined its plans as fol
lows:
In amount of capital involved, in it
] methods, and in the effect of the organi
4 cation upon prices. it is more nearly com
parable to the Standard Oil Compan.
than to any corporation or trust nov
operating in this country. A pool or sell
ing combination is not contemplated. Il
nearly every case the outright purchas
Z of plants is undertaken. In one or tw
instances the purchase or the entire out
: put of rods is provided for, where othe
lines of production are predominant an
could not appropriately become part o
a scheme aiming primarily at rod mi
I control. Under such plan. the mistake
of the wire nail pool and other combina
ions necessarily of a temporary charac
may be avoided. It can be under
how great organization with cap
nginRn upwards of $50000.000 coul
Ike pch that is impossible eve
erns when working inde
comparatively.
one trust OF many thu