Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-09-19
TariflFosters Trusts.

On the subject OF trusts he said:
The trust evil, as any other evil, is
durable only when the active causes
that produce it are eradicated. You
can as easily conquer intemperance by
continuing the drink habit, as easily
subdue the flame by feeding it oil, as
to crush out the trusts by leaving I'M
touched the active causes that make
possible their formation. Three poten-
tial causes exist under the joint opera.
ton of which the trust evil SO Justify
hourishes: One is natural cause, has
always existed, and will SO continue,
and is difficult to deal with. The other
two are purely artificial causes and are
faf easier of solution. The natural
rause is mans everlasting, unreasoning
RIGHTEOUSNESS. The two artificial
causes are, first, the protective tariff,
and second, railroad discrimination.
1t is self-evident thatif mans greed be
given full latitude some trusts could
exist even if we had no tariff or rail-
road discrimination.
If had the power should prompt
ly removing the two. artificial causes
by repeating, first, the misunderstanding
part of the tariff, and second, by bring
ing about government ownership of
RAILROADS"
The speaker said he would not advo-
cate governmental ownership OF rail-
roads if he thought they could be gov
erned successfully by laws. This he
has come to believe impossible. Under
ownership by the public he proposed
the following:
Government schools would be estab-
lished where railroading in its higher
branches would be scientifically
taught, and, a diploma from such a
school should constitute a credential
that no political boss would dare dis
turb any more than he would COM
mission in the army or navy, while the
soldier or sailor is doing his duty.
Some abuses would doubtless exist, be-
ing inseparable from the system, but
every such abuse would be compensat-
ed for by score of permanent bles-
ings." +
1.-THE ungodly octopus, the Standard
Oil company said Mr.. White, sis the
direct outgrowth OF railroad liiscrimin>
alton"
Concerning the natural cause of the
trust evil, the speaker said that mans
greed has been deliberately encourag-
ed by republican tariff legislation, es-
pecially the Dingley tariff, which was
an invitation to every man to loot the
people. He thought mans greed might
be much lessened by repeating the tar
iii law.
i, Denounces the War. a
p 4 y &. 81. : i
"Criminal aggression is the term
which Mr.. White used to express his
idea of the Philippine war. He also
referred to the war as 'sthe Mckinley
purpose of the merciless conquest of
i, an innocent people, and said that the
subjugation of 100000 Filipinos will
not be the end, but merely the begin
ming of our new career. The people
OF these islands, being conquered, must
be garrisoned; an endless coast must
be patrolled. This, insisted the speak
er, means an enormous standing
army whose cost will be far in excess
of receipts, and whose possession means
the requirement of part of the Chin
ese empire when the division is made,
the entrance of America into the sham
friendships which make the diplomatic
relationstof the world, and the close as
sotiationi OF the American government
with the imperial autocrats who rule
/, Europe. "Thus,'' be said, twill the re-
public die and the empire flourish
Mr.. White argued that there is n.
necessity for expansion, that there is
enough soil in the United States for all
her people and that the problems at
home are not yet solved. He said:
IF we had standing to orr credit u
1 real Christian civilization, then we,
might with some propriety call on the
far-off heather to repent, and in case
he refused, baptise him with fire and