The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-23
He DEFENDS THE TARIFF
Foraker Denies That 1t Is the
Mother of Trusts.
A NECESSITY OF TRADE
Com bination Natural Result OF Com
pstition-We Must Have New Mar
kets for Our Products-Is
for Expansion.

B. Foraker to-day delivered an address
here at the emancipation celebration on
the Butler county fair grounds. The
features of his address were his declar-
ations for expansion and his argument
on trusts. He said in part:
I'VE hear it said that the tariff is
the mother of trusts and that they are
the cause of all sorts of evils. We do
have trusts, and some of them as bad
as they are reported, but they are not
the product of the tariff, and if they
were the tariff, with it's attendant
prosperity and trusts, is better than
free trade and idleness, ruin, want,
hunger, soup houses and rags.
That the tariff is not responsible for
trusts is shown by the fact that while
they have free trade in England, yet
they also have more trusts in that
country than in any other. They had
their origin there and there they have
had their most complete developm ent.
But we should distinguish. Not all
combinations of capital and business
are trusts; not all of them have illegiti-
mate purposes and not all are attended
with disadvanta geous consequences.
On the contrary, the great majority of
business combinations are legitimate
and beneficial. But whether they are
of one kind or another they are not
| partisan in character. Trusts are not
republican institution enjoyed by re-
publicanS alone, nor democratic 1nst1-
tuition enjoyed by democrats alone, but
they are composed of democrats and re-
publicans alike, men of both parties are
engaged in them and Interested in their
promotion and their protection under
the law. They are simply feature or
our modern business conditions where
~ Accord
ingly, we find that men of not only
one party are engaged in creating great
combinations of capital, but that men
of all parties are alike engaged in the
condemnation of such combinations.
These trusts, while restricting competi-
ton, are yet the result of that same
competition and the natural result OF
natural conditions. They first started
in England because we were pressing
the manufacturers of that country
with our competition In the markets OF
the world to such an extent that they
were compelled to economize in every
| way possible to hold their own against
us in the marts- of trade. The same
cause that led to the formation or
trusts in England afterward led to
them in America.
by consolidation of capital, plants
and management of expenses of various
kinds are eliminated and 1t is mace
possible to continue the employment OF
our capital and the employment OF our
labor and the development of our re-
sources and the multiplication OF our
wealth; by resort 10 the econolhie7
that follow consolidation we are en-
abIed to meet the prices of England,
Germany and the older countries OF
Europe.
"These consultations mean loss OF
position and loss of employment 70
some classes and some individuals. 30
re a.
chimes and other labor saving devices
that have been invented; but the fact
remains that but for these consolida-
tions thousands would lose occupa-
tions who are now employed In produc-
ing the surplus manufactures for winch
we find markets outside or our own
country But for the advantages we
acquire by these consultations OF cap
ital and in industry we could not be
supplying, as we are to-day, locomo-
tives to the railroads Of England or
building bridges in Africa for the
British army in successful competition
with the bridge builders of Great Brit
ain. we would not be sending out myr-
lads of products to South Africa, China
and Australia We have come to the
place where we must sell abroad OF
restrict production. To sell abroad we
must compete, to compete we must
economize and to economize we must
we do not want and will not have, and
therefore we accept the alternative and
combine
And now, Just when the necessity
is upon us to find our markets for our
surplus products, the way to the best
markets of all is opened by the an
neXation of Hawaii and the war with
Spain. 1t is not in Europe, but in
Asia, where we are to find relief.
Five or six hundred millions of peo-
pie in China are just now being intro
duced to our civilization. In the near
future they will make heavy demands
on the rest of the world. Russia,
striving for their share Of the trade
and we owe it to the shops and farm
ers of this country to secure our falr
share also. To neglect our opportuni-
ties would be stupid folly.
Considerations of this character
must not be overlooked when We con-
slider the acquisition of the Philippines.
The wisdom of that acquisition will be
in due time demonstrated Just as in
every other case OF anneNa ton OF ter
ritory 1t is true the islands are far
distant from us, but they are near by
the great markets we must enter II
is true that we paid Spain $20,000000
on account of them when we might
have taken them by force, but that
was only to reimburse her for money
actually expended for the Improvement
of harbors and construction of public
buildings and other Improvements
which 1t would have been ungenerous
to, at least for us, to have deprived
her of in her hour of helpless hunin-
iation. 1t is true that these islands are
inhabited by Heterogeneous population,
speaking many different languages
and possessing many degrees of capac-
ity for civilized government, and that
all, good and bad, are, according to
the terms of the treaty, to pass under
our jurisdiction, but it is not true that
by their mere annexation they are to
become citizens Of the United States.
participating in our government and
competing with our labor
"On the contrary, it is expressly pro-
vided in the treaty that the civil and
political status of the lnha bitants shall
be determined by congress and the pro-
vision of the treaty makes it the su-
preme law of the United States, as