Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-04-07
ALL AFTER TRUSTS.
EVEN PLUTOCRATIC PRESS
JOINS THE PROCESSION.
They Want to Mako 1t Appear That
tho Reign of Trusts Has Been Caused
~ the TarlY-They Know That the
Gold Standard is the Real Cause.

The plutOcratic papers have begun
To see the handwriting on the wall.
They have begun to roast the Dingley
bill as breeder of trusts. This Is be-
cause they know that it Is in reality
the gold standard that is responsible
for the evil. They would like to get
the people divided on the tariff lines
once again. But they won't succeed.
Their rantings against the Dingley tar
IN will only cause the people to do
more thinking Here Is what the Chi
cago Times-Herald of March 81 says:
Under the misleading title of 1.-THE
Trust Oligarchy" the st. Paul Pioneer
Press has pertinent and timely appeal
to the Republican party to take the
Initiative in dealing with those great
trade combination that take advantage
OF our revenue laws to strangle COM
petition and enhance prices. Not count
Ing those great trusts that came into
existence prior to 1898, such as the
Standard Oil, the American Sugar Re-
Anery. the American Tobacco company
and many others, 1t estimates that
the past fourteen months have wit
messed the formation Of no less than
eighty trusts with an aggregate CAPT.
talization of over $4,000, 100000.
While we do not share in our con-
temporary's rather hysterical view of
the terrible portent Of these aggrega-
tons of capital as "devouring mon
sters," mammoth monopolies" and as
constituting monstrous oligarchy of
monopoly" we do believe that wher-
ever they stifle competition and en-
nance prices to the consumer they
should be regarded as inimical to pub
He policy and should be shown no
mercy by courts or legislatures. How
far a trust or combination which relies
solely upon the natural and economic
forces of organization and capital to
increase and cheaper production, and
which results in supplying better ar
tfcie at a lower cost than could be
produced under competitive conditions,
may be Justified is a question for de-
hating societies. It is undoubtedly
the duty Of legislatures and courts to
protect society from the aggregations
Of capital which destroy competition
Tn order to enhance prices. For these
there cnn be no excuse, protection or
defense.
: So when the Pioneer Press declares
that 1t is the duty of the Republican
party to repeal every protective duty
under the shelter of which its benef
Charles have organized a trust or COM
lhinntion of any sort to advance prices
III meets the views Of the Times-Herald
to a dot. The purpose Of the protec-
tive tariff was to foster industries, not
to protect monopolies.
Most certainly 1t should be the duty
Of congress, in both branches of
which the Republicans have a major
fly, to abolish or suspend the protec-
tive duty On the products of any in
dustry which has been organized into
q trust and which has arbitrarily rails
ed the prices of such products.
No mercy or consideration should be
shown to any combination of capital
that takes advantage Of protective
tariff to mulct American consumers. 1t
should be the first Office of the Repub-
Ifcan majority in Congress to free its
skirts from all responsibility for trusts
which under shelter Of the tariff exact
high prices from the people. Wherever
the protective tariff enhances the price
OF the product Of trust to the Ameri-
can consumer it should be reduced or
removed entirely. That is a pretty
safe proposition. Its adoption will re-
move the stigma of fostering trusts
from the Republican party.