The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1899-07-14
STRIKING AT PROTECTION
Such the True lnwardness of the Demo-
cratic Cry Against Trusts.
Peoria (Ill.) Journal.

eQ trusts, MS was IN S1ea
measure the burden of the Agitation
at that time. A little analysis o
the prase is profitable. If the Dem
ocrats are to fight trusts wherefor
the phrase "tariff protected trusts3'
If they are fighting the tariff, where
fore the need of adding the trust
question to it? The fact of the
matter is that there is no connection
between the two whatever. In fight
ing the trusts the Democrats are
taking up work which is new to
them Every bit Of antitrust iegis-
lation now on the statute books of
the nation and at all having the mer-
it of soundness and reasonableness,
every act against these great com
binations which is affective, is the
work of the Republican party.
In fighting what they term the
"tariff protected trusts" the Demo
Gratis are fighting not the trusts, but
the tariff. 1t is well to discriminate
in these matters. If 1t is the policy
of the Democratic party to bring
the tariff into question; if the dispos-
ition to bring this thoroughly settled
issue before the people, let this dis
position be known. 1t has generally
been supposed that there would be
no disposition of the sort. The eX-
perience of the country with the
Wilson-Gorman atrocity termed a
tariff system during the last Cleve-
land administration was such as to
indicate exactly what these Demo
cratic statesmen and Democratic
including the local rep
resentation in that line, are aiming
at It would be worth considerable |
to grasp the full scope of the ideas of
these statesmen who are now attemp-
ting to work in an old issue under
hew name.
1t was the cry of the "robber tar
if" that took Cleveland into office
the second time, and the tariff Of
,ered by the Democratic party as
he reform it had promised cost the
country more than the Civil War.
It may by that the people of the
United States who are now enjoying
he benefits of the Republican tariff
ystem are ready to accept another
Experiment. in the way of the VII
Oh German law, but it Is doubtful, I
Exceedingly doubtful.
However if the Democratic stat
smen feel that they nave d fighting
nance in this line in spite of the
unprecedented prosperity of the
country at this time under the Re
publican system; if they feel like the
silver issue is SO far dead and the
trust issue has been weakened by
their own record; if they feel that
they must take up this subject as
being the only thing on which there
is any possible hope of uniting their
discordant elements, the issue can
not be made up any too soon, and |
the palmer the matter is presented |
the better it will be for the people.
In the meanwhile let there be no
more foolishness IL the way of "tar-
if protected trusts" If the fight is
to be directed against the trusts let
the issue respecting them be made
up, if it is possible in view of the
two parties. If the fight is to be
at the tariff let the Issue
respecting this also be made up. 1t
is foolish for any party to go before
the people with a "blue eyed plat
fern, as Governor Altgeld express
ed it at Louisville, and any other
course than such fair decision and
deiniteness will be highly injurious
to the State and Nation as well as
to the party responsible therefor