The Dalles times-mountaineer. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1882-1904, 1899-08-26
THE TRUST PROBLEM.

Next years political platforms wi
denounce business com mbinations that
encroach upon public rig Its. All
parties alike will take this position
and all are taking it in the state
ment of principles. The republican
party ranged itself against trusts as
early as the national platform of 1888.
There is much talk among democratic
leaders of making trusts the paramount
issue of 1900. But their sincerity may
be doubled when it is found that they
can not discuss trusts without branch
ing off into an assault on the protective
tariff. Already it is clear that no mat
ter what the democratic party may put
in its creed about trusts it intends, as
the first step, to attack the principles
of protection, under the plea that pro-
lection is the parent of trusts. That
oppressive business com binatiOns can
ever be reached by this crooked road
is impossible. The republican party
must therefore be looked to for future
political action. But this is nothing
new. When national advance in any
direction is necessary the republicans
are summoned by the people to take
the lead ST. Louis Globe Democrat.
In some respects the statement of
the Globe-Democrat is correct. The
republican party must be looked to to
enact legislation for the control of
trusts, because it is now in control of
the reins of government. 1t has it
in it's power TO do something DOW or
as soon as congress meets Ii the
republican party is an enemy to trusts
it must show its enmity when oppor-
tunity affords, and not hope to win
friends by declaring agains. trade
com biues in its next national platform.
If it fails during the next congress to
give the people relief by euacting
stringent laws preventing the combina
tion OF capital for the purpose of linn
iting production and regulating prices,
| and after such laws are passed fails to
enforce them, platform declarations
| in 1900 will be of no avail.
The contention that a protective
tariff does not engender trusts has
been worn threadbare, and it is sur
prising that so aole a journal as the
Globe-Democrat should persist in
reasserting it. 1t is so palpable to any
| 80;
! hardly necessary. Any one knows
that a protective tariff is of no avail
unless it gives the industry procted a
monopoly of the home market. When
given such monopoly there is nothing
to prevent all those interested in that
particular monopoly forming com.
bine to prevent competition, and fix
prices, just at the figure at which the
article can be bought abroad and in
ported after paying the du'y imposed
Without protective tariff the home
compete with foreign producers. and
hence having competition from abroad
would be compelled to compete with
each other, making com mbination i'm
possible.
If the protective tariff does moi
make trusts possible, why is it that
all the gigantic trusts in the United
States. except the Standard Oil trust
are industries protected by the tariff!
And during January and February Of
this year forty-thrce trusts were or
ganized in this country, every one oi
/ which was an industry that is pro
tected. If the tariff is RESPONSIBLE for
! trusts it eau be demonstrated by con-
gress removing the tariff on few in.
t dustries That are in the combine, and
theu Judge of the result. For instance
/ if the duty were removed from wire
and tin plate, and those articles
brought into competition with the
product of the world, we should soon
see what effect il would have upon the
] com bines now engaged in their manu-
! facJure. If it did not result in break
! ing down the com bines, then all would
| copcede that the fault does not rest in
! tariff At all events the expert.
menr Is worth irving