Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-06-18
SATURDAY. JUNE IL, 1879
HAyEMEYER's ADMISSION.


Mr.. Havemeyer made a red-letter re
mark. so to speak, when he said that "th'
mother of all trusts is the customs tariff
bill"
II will not be forgotten soon. There wa.
a wonderful timeliness about it. 1t comes
when trusts are uppermost i'm the
thoughts of the people: when New Jer.
sey and some other States are charter
ing them by the score; when the COM
papies are putting out their inflated stock
by the million, and when prudent bust
ness-men are dreading the effect upon
the country when a day of reckoning
comes.
Mr.. Havemeyer's admission Is timely
also. in that it comes when politicians
are beginning to think about the plat
forms which will be proposed in the ma
tional conventions next year. That the
Democratic party will make a vigorous
utterance upon the subject we do not
doubt. But what will the Republicans
say and do? VIII they adopt the lam
guage of Mr.. Havemeyer? Mr.. Hanna
has promised that they will declare
against trusts. but are they willing TO
acknowledge the undoubted fact to which
Mr.. Havemeyer has drawn the attention
of the country? No, indeed. The Repub-
lican party is trust party, and it will
do nothing TO hurt trusts. They may in
dulge in platitudinous expressions of hos
tlhty to them, but they will do nothing
more.
1t may be that Mr. Havemeyer has
sounded an alarm which will become the
turning point in the next presidential
campaign. Remember that the masses
are alarmed and indignant at the growth
OF the trusts Remember. also. that the
newspapers frequently contain items of
news showing that most of our manufac-
turers can undersell foreign competitors.
Yes; we are claiming that by reason Of
the superior machinery which We have
no other factories and mills can COM
pete with ours. Yet the American people
those prevailing abroad. How is that?
Why, MIR. Havemeyer has told you. The
protective tariff shuts out foreign COM
petition, and the trusts kill off domestic
competition.
We know. of course that there are
some trusts which are not aided by the
tariff. We can think of several that
probably would be able to run with as
much success under low tariff as under
q high tariff, but they are exceptions.
Others before Mr.. Havemeyer discov-
cred that trusts were fostered by the pro-
tective tariff; but they could not get the
hearing that he is having. What he
has said Is in all mems mouths to-day.
What the New York Herald calls his
brutal frankness," and the fact that
he is the manager of a great trust (Which
has no great opposition from the Arbuck-
ies), have aroused the public, as it has
never been aroused before.
Well, what are the American people
s'going 10 do about it,? That remains
TO be seen. The Democratic party may
be counted upon 10 fight the trusts. but
what of the Republicans? They may,
and doubtless will. adopt an antitrust
platform next year, but can they be re-
lied upon 20 antagonize great concerns,
some of which have been their largest
contributors? In our opinion they cannot
be. The most of the trusts have always
stood by the Republican party. and the
Republican party is going TO stand by
them. And, therefore, so much the more
reason why the Republicans should be
hurled from power headlong