The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-19
TRUSTS AND TARIFFS.

Mr.. Bryan expected any position he
took on the trust evil to be assaulted.
He was right; he suggested a remedy;
it was criticised; his plan was con-
demned. Was it because the cure was
worse than the disease? No. Was it
because the remedy proposed was in
adequate? No. Then what was the
reason? 1t was that Mr.. Bryan is the
acknowledged leader of the monetary
reform movement in this country. and
the agents and attorneys of the trusts
are always ready to assail him and con-
denim his utterances, no matter what
the circumstances may be.
But there was nothing partisan in
Mr.. Bryan's plan. There was nothing
that should have offended the most
sensitive proteetionist. His proposition
is TO deal directly with the trust. He
did not advocate an attack upon the ac-
knowledged cause of so many indus
trial combinations He did not even in
sist, as a morning contemporary does,
that the tariff should be entirely taken
off all articles manufactured or con-
trolled by trusts. But he failed to sat
isfy this, and most administration or
gans Even the Chicago Times Herald
has heaved boulder of complaint in
his direction. 1t finds a flavor of par
tisanship in this war upon trusts. And
yet it has only been a few days since
the Herald, commenting upon
the appeal of the Republican Pioneer
Press Of st. Paul to its party to repu-
date and legislate against trusts or
else to give up trying to continue in
power. said;
While we do not share in our con-
temporary's rather hysterical view of
the terrible portent of these aggrega-
lions of capital, we do believe they
should be kept in check and not allowed
to stifie competition and yictimize con-
sumers. For these there can be no ex-
cuse, protection or defense And it
added: so when the Pioneer Press de-
clares that it is the duty of the Repub-
lican party to repeal every protective
duty, under the shelter of which it's
benefciaries have organized trust or
combination of any sort to advance
prices it meets the views of the Times
Herald to dot. The purpose of the
protective tariff was to foster indus
tries. not to protect rnonopolies."
These are the views of ar admins
traton paper, one that has always adj
vocated a high protective tariff and re-
luctantly acknowledges the evil that
has grown out of the system. The Pho
neer Press, the Tines Herald and many
of the smaller fry of Republican jour
alism, including the Salt Lake Tribune,
have appealed to congress to save the
country and the party by taking from
favored classes and Industries that spe-
cial protection which has enriched the
few at the expense of the many, fact
that these organs formerly disputed
with great vehemence. The Times-Her-
aid says: Most certainly it should be
the duty of congress, in both branches
of which the Republicans have ma
jority, to abolish or suspend the pro-
tective duty on the products of any in
dustry which has been organized into a
trust, and which has arbitrarily raised
the prices of such products. No mercy
or consideration should be shown to any
combination of capital that takes adj
vantage Of protective tariff to mulct
American consumers. 1t should be the
first Office of the Republican majority
in congress to free its skirts from all
responsibility for trusts, which, under
shelter of the tariff, exact high prices
from the DeopIe -
In conclusion it adds covert admis-
sion that the charge of fostering trusts
rests properly upon the Republican
party unless it makes some effort in the
coming congress to rid the nation of
the evil. These are its words: "Wher-
ever the protective tariff enhances the
price of the product of a trust to the
American consumer it should be re-
duced or removed entirely. That is
pretty safe proposition. Its adoption
will remove the stigma of fostering
trusts from the Republican party"
But who looks for any such action?
Even if law were passed, stronger
than the Sherman law, it would remain
a dead letter with the kind of attorneys
general the present administration Sc
lects.