The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1897-07-02
Monopoly, Like Starving,
Is a SOulless, RemOrseless AutOcrat,
With No Law But Greed

Is SOulless, RemOrseless AutOcrat
With No Law But Greed.
| Columbus Press
In the whilom language of the
Ohio State Journal, at cannot bt
successfully denied that high pro
tective tariff invies to the forma
ton of trusts" We may now &c
further and say, by authority, thai
what is called protection not only
invies to the formation of these
monopolies, but that its very nature
compels it to submit to their eXac
tions. Refuse to protect the trusts
and, we are told, you will "wreck
the whole protective system" liz
other words, protection, from the
very necessity of the case, implies
monopoly. The two things are in
dissolubly bound up together. Sew.
er the ligature which unites them
and both will perish. A monopoly
which is not protected ceases to be
u monopoly. Protection which
withclds its favors from monopoly
ceases TO be protection.
Such is the startling confession
which has been forced upon the
protectionist advocates. The Pet,
tigrew amendmen to the pending
tariff bill was designed to except
from the favor of that bill the pi-
ratical organizations known as
"ti usts." That amendment had to
be defeated,or the bill was doomed.
1t was rejected. Strike down the
monopolies and you strike down
"protectior," was the cry raised
against it. SO in ante-rebellion
times it was clamored that to stay
the aggressions of human bondage
would be to destroy the Union.
Monopoly, like sla very, is soul
less, remorseless autocrat. 1t
knows no law hut greed. 1t has
not Il single humane or gener-
Gus quality. 1t is intolerant of all
restraint. 1t treats human beings
as chattels, brought into the world
solely for its own enrichment. 1t
mercilessly crushes all competition,
robs industrious men of their liveli-
hood, arroggates exclusive control
of the market, bribes factories-as
it has done here in Columbus-to
cease to turn their wheels, or to
employ labor, rejects improved pro-
cesses and machinery, fixes prices
by arbitrary decree of its secret
junta, closes its factories and dis
misses thousands of workmen to
force prices, corrupts and terrorizes
politicians, dictates legislation, ex-
terminates from public life men Of
whatever party who defy its be-
hests, fosters an aristocracy of
wealth, dissemiuates popular dis
content, engendels anarchy, and
threatens republican government
at It's very foundations. Existing
legislative favoritism, it is the ma
levolent foe of all true equality of
rights. tbs the most absolute des-
potism, the most Unsuitable and
odious tyrant of this age.
In proclaiming this atrocious
monster as its Indispensable ally,
protectionism fixes its own charac-
ter. Principles, like men, are
known by the company they keep.
A good man never loses by re-
nouncing the companionship of n
bad, nor can any cause essentially
good be jeopardized by segregating
itself from cause essentially evil,
Monopoly is an outlaw and a band
it, so decreed by our highest courts
OF justice, in pursuance of the fund
laws of our country. 1t
ought to be enough to say of pro-
tectionism that it is monopoly's
confessed associate and ally.
With amazing faulty the Repub.
lican party espouses, and stakes its
very existence upon this alliance.
With obsequious servility it bows
to monopolistic dictation. In its
recent state convention it has at
tackled The merit system in the civ
il service which il stands sacredly
pledged to sustain and extend, but
II has not dared to utter one word