The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-09-05
TARIFF TO BLAME,
NOT FOR TRUSTS, BUT FOR THIS
COUNTRY'5 PROSPERITY.
Tho Worst Enemies the Democrats Have
Are tho Facts of History, Which Dis
prove Their Prophetic Theories Re-
garding the Tariff.

The Worst Enemies the Democrats Have
Are tho Facts of History, Which Dis
provo Their Prophetic Theories Re-
garding the Tariff.
Like drowning man clutching at
straw, Democrats have sought comfort
in the statement of Sugar King Have
meyer that "the tariff is the mother Of
trusts" but it takes a larger straw
than that to save them from the obliv-
ion to which the voters cast them in
1895.
A few facts about Havemeyer are of
interest in this connection Have
meyer is a free trade Democrat, and
bitterly opposed to the tariff, except
when it is made in his favor, as was
the Wilson free trade bill, which near
ly ruined the country but put money
| in the pockets of the sugar trust He
is opposed to the present protective
tariff law because it is building up the
beet sugar industry in this country in
competition with the trust. That is
the real milk in the Havemeyer cocoa
| nut.
The absurdity of taking Havemey
er's statement seriously is apparent
| from the fact that the three greatest
trusts in the world have not cent of
tariff to protect them, viz: the sugar
trust, the Standard Oil company and
the rubber trust.
| There is no tariff on gas, protecting
the gas trusts; there is none on the
electric light, heat and power con-
Germs, yet there are % trusts of this
nature. In Montana and Colorado,
where coal Is scarce, coal trusts are
formed. There are trusts in COM
pressed air, ice, manufacturers of ar
ticles patented in this country, none
of which can be affected in the least
degree by the tariff.
But 1t is true that the tariff is the
mother of prosperity. 1t was said by
the Democrats in 1895, that protection
would build Chinese wall around this
country, keeping out the products OF
foreign countries and keeping our own
in at the same time.
But facts play havoc with Demo
cratic theories. In 1895 our exports
were $So7 ZOO. 900; in 1896, 1882. 900, 900;
in 1897, $1,231, 900, 900, and when the
full returns for 1899 are in, a still
larger increase will undoubtedly be
found. The Dingley tariff contributed
to bring an increase of 100000 tt
the pockets of the American people
over the income from exports in 1895
Democrats said that there was nj
use in putting a protective tariff OF
silk because silk factories could no
be operated successfully in the United
States. But facts are again their wors
enemy. Last year we had 8S silk fac
tories in operation, with total o
sos, 1903 spindles, 1,117 hand looms
9,238 power looms and 3,401 machines
and the average number of weeks il
operation was 81.
Years ago the Democrats said VI
could not make steel rails, pottery, til
and many other articles, but that the.
must come from abroad. Today W,
are making all these articles and tn
price is far lower than before the,
were protected. Under the Wilson fire.
trade tariff in 1895 and 1896 our wage
earners were out of work and on
mills idle. Now all that is changed
and Dingley tariff is responsible fo
a large part of It,
The tariff is not the mother of trusts
but it always has proved to be tn
mother of prosperity.