Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-11-21
4 TANGLED Trust ARGUMENT.

There is no doubt" says our neigh
dor, the Intelligencer, that the most
comprehensive answer to the contention
OF the advocates of free trade, that the
customs tariff is the mother of trusts,
is to be found in the paper read by DR..
Samuel a. Robinson before the Chicago
trust conference"
Without quoting DR.. Robinson entire
we can gain an accurate idea Of the
height, breadth and depth of his argu
ment by simply quoting the hypothesis
on which he bases his argument, as that
hypothesis is stated by himself. CAS-
Stunning, however, for the purpose of
this discussion says DIR. Robinson,
that the enemies of protection are also
the enemies of trusts"-we need quote
and hence his entire argument are most
decidedly faulty, as any conscientious
protectionist among the readers of the
Intelligencer will attest. This effort to
slip the trusts in for shelter behind the
skirts of honest and legitimate protec-
ton to American industry is too pal
pable subterfuge and fraud to deceive
even rabid adherents to the high tariff
theory We will venture to assert,
without fear of contradiction, that nine
tenths of the strong protectionists
among the Intelligencer's readers will
vigorously protest against Dr. Robin
sons assumption that only the enemies
of protection are the enemies of trusts,
for If we know aught of the temper of
the people their decided opposition to
these gigantic combines that crush la
Dor at one end and the consumer at the
other, is not on these lines. The cons
cientious believer in protectionist
theories may be equally an opponent of
trusts with the tariff reformer, or the
out and out free trader.
Our neighbor goes on to fortify its
pro-trust argument, borrowed from DR..
Robinson, with a quotation from the
chief organ Of the trusts, the American
Economist That constituencies organ,
however, only succeeds in still further
tangling the argument, rendering it abb
solutely absurd. For example, in illus
trating its contention that our excess
sive tariff duties are not responsible for
the formation of most trusts in this
country, the Economist says:
The facts as to tin pIate-that in praeti-
caI operation, the ostensible duty of III
cents a pound is reduced to about half a
cent per pound, and that while American
makers were advancing the price n cents
Z pox the Welsh makers put up their price
Ills a box-these and other relevant facts,
are cited by DR.. Robinson TO show that the
american Tin Plate Trust has not vet
been convicted of the crime of arbitrarily
auVanclng prices to point not justified
by the large increases that have taken
place in the cost Of materials wages etc
and that n Free Trade Great Britain the
advance has been double that put in force
in Protected America
Here the Economist and DR.. Robin
son trip and fall all over themselves.
Ii it be true that the advance in the
price of tinplate in Great Britain has
been double that put in force in Pro-
tected America" then in heavens name
why does the American tinplate trust
howl SO loudly when it is suggested
that it is able to hold its own against
the British article without tariff aid?
What becomes of the favorite high tar
if plea that protection is needed
against the cheap" foreign article?
According to the Economists figures
the foreign article is higher priced
than the Americanl
Just at this point we will quote what
an American manufacturer of tinplate.
who was compelled to sell out to the
trust, has to say on this point The
manufacturer in question is Mr.. w. H.
Griffith, of Washington, Pa, and his
testimony before the Industrial Com
mission threw much light on the opera
tion of this trust. He told the Com
mission that his company cleared 20
per cent in profits last year when the