The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1899-12-14
FREE TRADE AND TRUSTS.

There is nc opinion regarding trust
and their cure which has taken deepei
root in the public mind than that free
trade is the properrenedy. The trus.
is an unnatural industrial condition anu
protection is an unnatural and arbitrary
means Of advancing prices, 1t Is no.
necessary in this connection TO argue
that protection is or is not an aid to in
dustrial development. The public rec
ognizes it is an artificial means OF rails
ing prices and it has become associated
with the trust which is held responsible
for the abnormal advance in the price Of
certain commodities.
There is no class of people on whom
the advance in prices presses harder than
it does on the farmers, as the advance IN
the price of their products has not kept
pace with the advance in what they pur
chase They are Indignantly consciou-
o. this and the blame is placed upon the
trusts. vThey attribute the advance t.
combinations and they feel that those
enga yed ia agriculture are unable to OF
ganize Us the manufacturers do because
of the large number engaged in the farm
er and their dispersion throughout the
country, They are in opposition, active
and open, to any. artificial means of ad-
vancing prices being satisfied it will prove
inimical to their interests.
The Pilot has interviewed number
of farmers within the last few weeks,
AMI finds that, almost without excep-
ton, they entertain the views attributed
to them in the foregoing, They are no
longer blind devotees of party and are dis
posed to act politically so as 20 conserve
their own interests. Those who fancy
that imperialism, or the financial ques
ton or n perfunctory declaration against
trusts will cut any figure in agricultural
communities in the election Of 1900, are
> IDLY mistaken, if ManitowOc county j.
an index of the general condition
They want the trusts fought, not by
resolutions, but by some declared method
which they are satisfied will prove eff
cacious. The weapon which meets their
approval is FREE TRADE. They espouse
that with such emphasis us to leave no
doubt of the depth of their conviction
regarding the remedial effects
One of the most intelligent as well /,
successful farmers of this county, a life
long republican and formerly protec,
zionist, recently informed The Pilot he
was satisfied that free trade is now ne
cessity and that it is the duty of every
man to work for it. He pronounced ii
the only cure for trusts &s it would re
store what trusts are designed to elm
mate, -competition
There never was time during which
there was such demend for free trade
as now. Abandoned by the democrat,
in 1896 it has been out of politics ana
people gave ii consideration without 20
litical bias and recognized its justice.
The creation of trusts REINFORCED their
Judgment, and increased prices of trus,
made articles gave a personal incentive
TO abstract belief The political part
which will limit its platform declara-
tlons to opposition to trusts with free
trade as cure will sweep this county
by large majority. This is not state.
ment suggested by predisposition nor i
1t conjecture 1t is IN opinion formed
from knowledge of the situation.