The age-herald., 1899-06-20
THE MOTHER
 OF THE TRUSTS

New York, June 17.-In reply to requests, the .World' has received from leading democrats several opinions on the testi- mony given by Henry o. Havemeyer be- fore the industrial commission at Wash ington on Wednesday, when he said that protection breeds trusts. In Chicago Colo mel William J. Bryan said:
 Here is Havemeyer who has made mill lions through agency of combinations, say ing these things, which are invariably in- imical to labor, and which could not live were it not for the high protective duties. Now, these duties were put there by the republicans when they got into power but the fight of next year will not be made on the trusts, which will constitute a purely or comparatively collateral issue. The high tariff duties and the consequent con- binations which follow in their wake are the result of the victory in 1896 over the money of the people as against the money of the men who manage the trusts.
 Of course, just as MT Havemeyer says; ''The people are plundered through the tariff laws" but we must go back of the tariff if we want to find where the real reason lies. This sugar trust magnate has not said anything that has not been said scores of times before, but never by so prominent an advocate of trusts. MT. Havemeyer has some objective view in making his statements, but what it is. of course, l cannot say. These men of mill lions never waste words any more than they throw away dollars.
 W. J. Stone, democratic national commit teeman from Missouri, says:
 l believe Havemeyer is correct in say ing the tariff is the mother of trusts. That has been the democratic position always. MT. Havemeyer knew what prohibitive tariff would do when he was one of it's staunchest advocates. Nevertheless, his testimony is opportune. Free trade or a purely revenue tariff would kill the mother of trusts" and help to stop the breed, but the progeny already abroad must be proceeded against directly. As the democratic party has always opposed a protective tariff, it must be the trust Nemesis.
 8. M. Jones, mayor of Toledo, O., thinks HaYeneyer is correct in regard to the tariff. He says:
 Looking at the question from the broad basis of human brotherhood, there is no just ground for protective tariffs, patents or any special privileges, as they are an- tasonistic to the idea of brotherhood and. to my mind, contrary to the spirit of de- mocracy. Of course, l am speaking from a world standpoint, not from the narrower one of the nation; but it is my opinion that this nation will not know real prosperity or real freedom until it is much nearer the absolute free trade basis than it Is at present.
 The only way in which I can see that the trusts may be fought with any prospect of success is to frankly recognize their econ omic value as labor saving machines and then adopt methods by which the saving may be distributed among all the people to whom it belongs The Ford franchise tax law in New York state is a large step in the right direction.
 It may be that by wise system of tax ing the trusts for the time being the pub lie may get large part of the economic saving produced by them, but in the end 1t Is clear to me that the people must own the trusts and operate them for the benefit or all the people, as We now own the post oHce trust. The trust is specializing indus try, as it has come to stay and the people Will ma way of securing benefits arising from them just as soon as they are edu- cated to an appreciation of this truth.
 Congressman J. II. Bankhead, of Ala bama, says
 The democratic party has always insisted that a protective tariff would breed trusts and unlawful combinations in restraint of trade. The prediction Is being fearfuly full filed The democratic party must redouble it's efforts and declare in it's next platform eternal warfare until the monster is crushed. If it is necessary to suppress criminal trusts, every article controlled by them should be placed upon the free list, and an income tax to supply the revenue be provided. The only certain remedy is to elect democratic president who will force the laws after they have been en- acted
 John Gilbert Shankin, democratic na- tional committeeman from Illinois, says:
 l agree with Mir Hevemeyer that the tarin is the mother of all trusts except the money trust, which is the greatest of them, and the one without which they could not exist. If the tariff is the mother, the gold standard is the father of the trusts. The best, and, in my judgment, the only method of fighting trusts is to restore the normal condition of coinage and trade by making both free. In my opinion the democratic party should declare vigorously against trusts, as it already has declared and will certainly reaffirm the declaration against the twin robbers or the peoplo-the larllI and the gold standard.
 Congressman De Armond of Missouri, writes:
 As to the Havemeyer statement l long have believed a high tariff to be creator and promoter of trusts. One effective way of fighting trusts would be to fight high tariffs l believe the democratic party should and will declare against the one evil, the trust also against the other eVll' it's promoter the republican high tarln.