The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1899-10-25
The Destruction Of Protection, Not Of
the Trusts, the Avowed Pur-
pose Of Free-Traders.

y
supremelJ Ridiculous the predictions IF
the free trade and free silver combina-
tions as to what would follow Republi-
can success in 1896 and the passage of q
protective tariff bill, it might be supposed
that the free trade and free silver advo-
Gates would remain quiet until at least
some kind ofa reaction appeared. But
they are not ordinary people, and the
facts are of no account TO them. Hence
the country has Bryan leading his party
TO destruction on the silver question, and
a set of equally foolish Democrats secret
ly trying to bring the tariff question to
the front.
Circulars have been sent broadcast to
men supposed to bo in sympathy with
the free trade advocates asking them for
contributions to subsidize newspapers
and writers to advocate free trade. TIL Sc
circulars emanate from The New Eng
land Free-Trade League. The first cir
cular states that "the league has about
completed arrangements under which
leading paper of each of the principal
cities" the articles apparently to attack
"trusts." But the free-traders are not
real enemies of the "trusts," as this circu-
lar, dated September 81, explains: at
is not the province of the league to make
war upon the trusts, but to make war on
the protective tariff" and it desires ito
direct the popular feeling against trusts"
so as to hurt the tariff, and contributions
of money are called for to carry on that
work. OF course to attack trusts directly
when free trade England has hundreds
of them, and many new on,s are being
formed there every week, would be i'm
polite. Therefore the league says that its
province is not ito make war upon the
trusts"
Another circular of the same date gives
the plan of work. The league has, if we
are to believe the circular, secured the
services "ofa number of our foremost
public men, who have promised to write
letters" The names of these foremost
men are as follows: Donelson Caffrey,
]. Sterling Morton, j. De Witt Warner,
Worthington c. Ford. William Lloyd
Garrison, Thomas g. Shearman, Clifton
r. Breckenridge, Franklin Pierce, Louis
+. Post, Henry L. Nelson and A. b. Far
quhar. That is list calculated to raise
a smile on the face of the most funereal
person. Theie is not man mentioned
on the list who has not been how'll for
free trade for many years, and yet the
nation is more strongly protectionst to-
day than ever before.
Mr.. Caffrey, the only man who holds a
public office, is the Senator from Louisi-
ana who filled $50 columns of the Con-
gressional Record in one session to show
chiefly why there should be higher tar
i'll on sugar, as his material interests are
embraced in sugar plantation. And
yet the circular starts out with the state
ment that it is the intention to illustrate
the recent declaration Of Mr.. Havemeyer,
head of the sugar trust, that the tariff is
responsible for the trusts. Havemeyer
and Caffrey denouncing the tariff on SUI
gar is certainly combination that would
make the fortune Of any freak manager.
The fearful Shearman of Brooklyn, who
has been writing Free. Trade letters for
such long lime to BIRTHS newspapers (;
Louis F. Post, Socialist leader of New
York, and w. l.. Garrison, as foremost
public men," is certainly wHat might lie
cal lei "a curtain raiser"
1t is 1iuteresting to note the newspa-
pers with which, according to tho circu-
lar, arrangements" have been made 10
publish these wonderful articl S, We
are told that they ale such papers as
the Boston Transcript" New York
''World,' Philadelphia Record" Bal
timore "Sun," Springfield "Republi-
can" Manchester "Union," Milwaukee
journal" Kansas City "Times" and
Pittsburg Post" which have all leady
accepted the league's proposal. The list
of subjects is also interesting. At the
head is the "tin plate" The object is to
haye the duty on tin plate removed on
the IgIound that there is a "trust" in
that industry. And yet the London
newspapers have been full OF articles
lately telling of the successful organiza-
ton of the British Tin p late Trust.
Evidently all the League needs to do to
get the money it wants to pay for the
writing and publication of its articles
is to apply to tho British Tin Plate
Trust. Another subject is "wall pa
per, all article more completely in the
grasp ofa trust in Great Britain than
any other. "Wire nails" is another
subject. They have never been manu-
factured to any extent in Englani, but
are German product, and were con-
troiled by German "trrst' when the
duty was first put on them in this coun-
try in 1888. Then they sold for 10 cents
pound. That trust is still in existence
in Germany. After the Protective duty
Was imposed and the industry estab-
lished in the United States wire nails
sold here for years for less than 2 cents
a pound. although the duty was 4 cents
pound
There are trusts which control abroad
nearly every article TO be attacked by
the league. The friends OF Protection
in the United States will await this on
slaught with great calmness. They
have heard of the New England Free