The times., 1899-09-22
FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER p. 1899.
Trusts and the Tariff.

It is q healthful sign that the political
leaders Of the hour are giving some atten-
ton to economic questions, and tending to
drop the foolish idea of hammering the ac-
complished fact OF national expansion into
a false and impossible issue. The trust
conference, at which Mr.. Bryan and Mr..
Cochran contributed great deal TO the
Literature of the subject, without. however,
settling the question, seems TO have ex-
erted an excellent influence in bringing
the fact OF trust domination fairly before
the people.
II may be doubted. however, that there
is IN sight any remedy for an evil the
pOtentialisies, al least. of which all think
ing Americans seem willing TO acknowl-
edge Undar existing conditions of govern
mental policy and of industrial organiza-
ton. trusts appear to be as inevitable
as dean and the taxes. They are the
natural and necessary outcome OF a sys-
TEN which puts the circulating medium OF
the country in the hands and within the
control Of a class; which places its indus
trial enterprises and activities in the grasp
OF the same class. under another name. and
which makes the masses of the people abb
sect slaves 10 capital, economically and po-
Iitically through the coercive force Of a
consolidated power in possession OF. and
able TO dictate al viii. the expansion or
contraction of the currency. the wage OF
labor. and the price OF ali commodities.
Mr. Bryan declaims against the trust. as
! thing subysrsIve OF native manhood. Mr.
Cochran views II as the highest and most
tion-of ths survival Of the httest-whiIe
Mr. John 2. Mclean fancies rather indeh-
nitely that it might be harnessed and
driven under some scheme of municipal
control and public participation in profits.
None Of these gentlemen speaks as If he
understood that the system at large which
produces the trust form OF industrial or
gsnization must be attacked and destroyed
condition precedent to the annihila-
tion Of the thing resultant
AS long as the people OF the United
States are willing TO delegate TO the banks
the power to control money; and are will
ing 10 place in the hands of a few cap
tains Of industry the ability TO fix the
prices OF all leading commodities, through
the operation OF the tariff monopoly, just
so long it may be predicted win these two
allied forces continually combine. and
the form of their combination will be al
ways in principle that Of the trust. The
task before the voters of the Republic is
that OF destroying the basis OF this crush
ing slavery. II il were possible today to
practically re-establish the biInetallic
standard OF money. and TO expunge the in
famous Dingley tariff law from the statute
books. the trusts would be in a condition
OF wreck and ruin within q year. In their
place, honest, individual trade competition,
which supports an army OF middle-class
dealers in reasonable comfort, in compar-
ison with the trust system, which elimin-
ates the middle class entirely, and only
feeds the lnsatiate pockets of a few bill
llonaires, would again become the promI-
nent foundation and feature OF American
business life.
The academic views of Democratic lead
ers are interesting 10 read. But what we
want is men Of the Jack the Giant Killer
sort, who viii buckle on their swords and
stab the monster where Il lives. which
is in the sulphuroas cave OF monometal-
lism, and the foul fens OF the Chinese
tariff.