The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-09-23
And Points to F~ree-Trade England,
the Birthplace of "COmbines,- as
Proof of His Contention.
OUR GROWING FOREIGN TRADE
DUE TO ECONOMIES EFFECTED BY
: CONSOLIDATION OF INDUSTRIES.
Wages Also Maintained by COmbina-
tions-Bcncfts That VIII Accrue
from Retention of the Philippines.

~
HAMILTON, o., Sept. Ex-senator J. b.
Foraker to-day delivered an address here
at the emancipation celebration on the But
Ter county fair grounds. Among the fea-
lures of his address were his declarations
for expansion and an exhaustive argument
on trusts. He said. in part:
w hear it said that the tariff is the
mother of trusts and that they are the
cause of all sorts of evils. We do have
trusts, and some of them as bad as they
are represented, but they are not the prod
uct of the tariff, and, If they were, the tar
If, with its attendant prosperity, and trusts.
Is better than free trade and idleness, ruin
the tariff is not responsible for trusts is
shown by the fact that while they have
more trusts in that country than in any
other. They had their origin there, ana
they have the most complete development.
binations Of capital and business are trusts,
not all of them have illegitimate purposes,
and not all are attended with disadvan-
tageous consequences. On the contrary,
the great majority Of business combina-
lions. are legitimate and benefcial- But
they are not partisan in character. Trusts
are not a Republican institution, enjoyed
by Republicans alone, nor a Democratic
but they are composed of Democrats ana
Republicans alike-men of both parties are
engaged in them and interested in their pro-
motion and their protection under the law.
They are simply a feature of our modern
business conditions, with respect to which
party lines cannot be drawn Accordingly
we find that not only mep of all parties are
In common engaged in creating great COM
binations of capital, but that men OF ali
parties are alike engaged In the condemna-
ton of such combinations. These trusts,
while restricting competition, are yet the
result of that same competition, ana the
natural result of natural conditions. They
first started in England. because We were
pressing the manufacturers or that coun-
try with our competition In the markets
were compelled to economize in every way
possible to hold their own against US In
the marts of trade. The same cause that
led 10 the formation of trusts in England
afterward led to them in America.
BENEFITS OF CONSOLIDATION.
"By consolidation of capital, plants and
management, expenses of various kinds are
eliminated and 1t Is made possible to con-
tinue the employment Of our capital and
the employment of our labor and the devel-
opment of our resources, and the multiple
cation of our wealth; by a resort to the
economies that follow consolidation we are
enabled to meet the prices Of England, Ger
many and the older countries Of Europe.
These consolidation mean loss of posi-
ton and loss of employment to some classes
ton of the sewing machine and other labor
saving devices that have been invented, but
solidations thousands would lose occupa-
lions who are now employed In producing
the surplus manufactures for which we
find markets outside of our own country:
But for the advantages We acquire by
these consultations Of capital and Indus
tries we could not be supplying, as we are
| England or be building bridges in the
Sudan for the British army in successful
competition with the bridge builders OF
| myriads of products to South Africa, China,
Japan and Australia. We have come to the
place place w nrodxeti %e must To sell TeI ab a r we OF must ast
compete: to compete We must economic,
and to economic we must lower wages or
| will not have, and, therefore, we accept
the alternative and combine.
And now, just when the necessity is upon
us to find markets for our surplus products
the way to the best markets of all is opened
by the annexation of Hawaii and the war
with Spain. 1t is not in Europe, but in
six hundred millions of people, chiefly in
China. are just now being introduced to
our civilization. In the near future they
will make heavy demands on the rest Of
the world. Russia, France, m and
England are striving for their share of this
trade and we owe II to the shops ana farma
also. To neglect our opportunities would be
stupid folly.
THE PHILIPPINES.
Considerations of this character must not
be overlooked when We consider the acqui-
sltion of the Philippine islands. The wis
dom of that acquisition will be In due time
demonstrated, just as in every other case
OF annexation of territory. 1t is true these
islands are far distant from us. but they
are near by the great markets We must
enter. 1t is true that we paid Spain $4,000
600 on account of them. when We might
nave taken them by force. but that was
only to reimburse her FOR money actually
expended for the improvement of harbors
and the construction OF pubic buildings
and other improvements which II would
have been ungenerous. to say the least,
for us to have deprived her of in her hour
of helpless humiliation.
'It is true that these islands are in
habited by a Heterogeneous population.
speaking many different languages. and
possessing varying degrees of capacity and
possibility for civilized government. and
that all, good and bad, are, according to the
terms Of the treaty 10 pass under our jur-
isdiction, but IL Is not true that by their
mere annexation they are to become citi-
our government and competing with our
labor.
ION the contrary, it is expressly provided
status of the inhabitants shall be deter
mined by the Congress. and this provision
of the treaty is as much the supreme law
OF the United States as though Ii were set
forth in the Constitution itself, for, by the
Constitution. II is expressly provided, not
that the Constitution alone shall be the
supreme law OF the land. but that the Con-
stitution and the laws enacted in pursu-
ance OF the Constitution and all treaties
made or TO be made. not under the Consti-
tuition but under the authority OF the United
states shall be the supreme law of the
land.
other words a treaty with a foreign
power Is. as to all matters with which it
appropriately deals, an instrument OF equal
dignity with the Constitution, made so By
tho Constitution ffQalf Tho uuhala III
Ject Is, therefore,, intrusted TO the Ameri-
can Congress TO be dealt with as II may