The evening times., 1899-06-17
THE MOTHER OF THE TRUSTS.
Democratic Leaders Find n Keynote
in fIavemeyer's Admissions.


i'm iRvemeyer's Admissions.
New Ybrk. June 17.-In reply to requests.
the World has received from leading
Democrats several opinions on the testi-
mony given by Henry o. Havemeyer be-
fore thejIndustrial Commission. at Wash
ington, on Wednesday. when he said that
protection breeds trusts. In Chicago Col.
William J. Bryan said:
Here is IIavcmeyer, who has made millions
through the agency Of combinations, saying these
things. which invariably iDimieal to labor.
and which could not live were 1t not for the
high protective duties. Now, these duties were
put there by the Republicans when they got INTO
power hut the fight of next year will not be
made the trusts which will constitute
purely comparatively collateral issue Inc
high tariff duties and the consequent combinations
which follow in their wake are the result OF
the victory in 1896 over the money Of the peo-
pie against the money of the men who man
age the trusts.
OF course, Just as Mr. Havemeyer says, ''the
people are plundered through the tariff laws.
hut we must 90 back of the tariff it we want to
find where the real reason lies. This sugar trust
magnate has not said anything that has not been
said of times before. but never by 50
prominent an advocate of trusts. Mr.. Hayeneyer
has some objective view in making his state
mcnts. but what il is. OF course, l cannot say.
These men of millions waste words any
more than they throw away doiiars
. W. j. Stone. Democratic National Com
mitteeman from Missouri says:
! believe Havemcycr is correct in saving the
tariff is the mother Of trusts That has been the
Democratic position always. Mr. Hlvemeyer
knew what a prohibitive tariff would do when he
of its stanchest advocates Nevertheless,
his testimony is opportune. Free trade or
purely revenue tariff would kill the mother OF
trusts. and help TO stop the breed. hut the
h.4 f,.aftRd
against directly. As the Democratic party has
always opposed protective tariff, it must be the
trust Nemesis.
S NJ. Jones, Mayor of Toledo. Chic,
thinks Havemeyer is correct in regard to
the tariff He gays:
Looking at the question from the broad basis
Of human brotherhood, there is no Just ground
for protective tariffs patents. or any special priv
ileGe>. Is they are antagonIstic to tie IDEA oi
brotherhood and. To my mind. contrary to the
spirit Of Democracy. Of coursa. ] am speaking
from world standpoint. not from the narrower
Of the nation; but il Is my opinion th1t TINS
nation will not know real prosperity or real Tree
dom until il is much nearer the absolute tree
trade basis than il is at present.
The only way in which ] can see that the
trusts may be fought with any prospect Gi sue
i to frankly recognize their economic '4u
as lsbor->aying machines. and then adopt meth
ods by which the saving may b. distributed
among all the people TO whom il belongs The
movement OF society is clearly that way The
Ford franchise tax law in New York State Is
large step in the right direction.
II may be that by wise system Of taxing the
trust for the time being the public may get
large part of the economic saving produced by
them, hut in the end IL i clear 10 me that the
people must own the trusts and operate them
for the benefit of all the people. now own
the p0sfofiicc trust. The trust Is socialzins IN
dustry. as it has come 10 stay, and the people
will find way OF securing the benefits arising
from them jnst a. soon as they are educated 10
an appreciation Of this truth.
Congressman J. Fl. Bankhead of Alabama
says:
The Dtmocfatic party has always insisted that
a protective tariff would breed trusts and unllw
ful combinations in restraint Of trade. The pre-
diction is being fearfnlly fulfilled. The Demo
cratic party must redouble its efforts, and de
clare ir its next platform eternal warfare until
the monster is crushed. II il i necessary TO
suppress criminal trusts. every article controlled
by them should be placed upon the free list.
and income tax To supply the revenue be
provided. The only certain remedy is to elect
q Democratic President who viii enforce the laws
after they have been enacted.
John Gilbert Shanklin. Democratic Ma
tional Committeeman from Illinois. says
! agfc. with Mr.. liIvemeyer that the tariff is
the mother of all trusts except the money trust.
which IL III. greatest Of them. and the one with
out which they could have had existence. II
the lsrfs ia tIte mother, the gold standard Is
the father OF the trusts The best. and. in my
Judgment. the only method Of fighting trusts is
to restore the normal condition OF coinage and
trade by making both free. In my opinion the
Democratic party should declare vigorously
again,; trusts a. il already has declared. and
will certainly rea'rrn the declaration against the
twin robbers of the people-the tariff and the
gold standard
Congressman De Almond Of Missouri
writes:
A. to the iavcmcyer statement. ! long have
believed high tariff 10 he a creator and promo
ter of trusts One effective way OF fighting
trusts would lie to fight high tariffs. believe
the Democratic party should and will declare
against the one evil. the trust: also against the
other evil. its promoter the Republican high
tariff