Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1900-06-26

there were two excuses, viz: want of
experience in government, and the ex
IRENE youth and frailty of American
manufactures
The protective idea is democratic but
the abuse of that idea resulting in fay
oritism is undemocratic.
As to platforms, the democratic party
has been better in performance than in
promises, but their national platforms,
| in those days when democracy meant
something, were not silent upon this
question, as the Post will observe if it
reads them. Here are few sample
plaEks
Democratic platform of 1922
Resolved that an adequate protection
TO american industry is indispensable to
the prosperity of this country
Democratic platform of 1872
'>We demand a system of federal tax
alton which shall not unnecessarily inter
fere nth the industries of the peoble, and
which shall provide the meang neces-
sary to pay the expenses OF govern
ment."
But when the democratic party had
so firmly established the protective idea
that it had become a fixture lin our
scheme of government, and no )longer
needed the continued sponsorship and
championship of great party, that
party was quick to observe and oppose
its attendant evil-spirit 'favoritism, .
which is not a latter day result of the
protective idea, but seems to be an
abuse of that idea which was discerned
by the democratic party as early as
1910, and condemned by its platforms
in 1910, 1914, 1913, 1852 and 1856 leach
OF which contained the following plank
Resolved that justice and soundjpol
icy forbid the federal government to
foster one branch of industry 10 tie det-
rtmert Of another"
The protective idea was firmly i'm
planted in our tariff legislation, By the
democratic party and long before there
was republican party il had obtained
such foothold that it can not be sud
denly removed. 1t can only disappear
by being outgrown. 1t can only be
outgrown us the need for it ceases. So
long as both democrats and republicans
are engaged, as they are and have been,
IN businesses which are benefited by
protection, both democrats and repub-
Gcans in Congress will continue, as
they have in the past, TO hold fast to the
protective idea. The protective idea is
not IN danger; 1t is strong enough to
stand alone; it needs not the support of
any party. 1t IS only its evil compan-
ion, "favoritism, that now needs the
serious attention Of the American peo-
pie, and this evil needs very serious
attention from the fact that the present
dominant political party has practically
abandoned the protective idea and
taken up in its stead the idea of favor
itism. We don't expect the Post to
admit this, but the fact seems very
clear from our standpoint.
The responsibility of tariff fatoritism
for the trusts is too big question to
discuss without unreasonable extending
this article. But as we have quoted
above, all the Post has said on that sub
ject, except that in another place it re-
ferS to them as the eXcreScenceS of
prosperous conditions, known us
trusts, we need not say much in reply.
The Standard Oil and Anthracite Coal
trusts control products known as mat
ural mOnopolies," viz: Mineral pro-
ducts, constituting necessaries of life
and found only within such confined
areas that their mOnopolzation is an
easy process. The Post admits thatfhese
trusts and all trusts are evils. Why then
is it not an evil system which makes the
mOnopolizatiOn of other necessaries of
life an easy process by destroying or
greatly limiting competition in their
production, as does the republican idea
of ''fayoritism" in the matter of tariff
taxation.
There are many trusts that it will be
OF more value To investigate than those
mentioned by the Post We have hot
space here totSpcak of them, and will
merely ask the Post Il few questions,
hoping that if it investigates them it
will not find the task Improbable
What does it mean, that in Decem-
Der, 1899, the American Steel and Wire
trust sold wire nails in Europe for
s.. IA per key and sold the snme goods
in the United States for So 50 per keg
What does it mean that the same trust
exported to Europe, in 1899 81 ,233, 2l2
pounds of wire mails and 2!5,194,4.5
pounds of steel wire, aud, competing
against what republican papers are
pleased to call the pauper labor of
Europe, sold every pound of said wire
and wire nails to the people of Europe
at much lower price than they charged
the people of the United States for the
same goods?
What does it mean that on the 2Sth
of October 1899 refined bOrax was quot
ed in London for 81 cents pound
and in New York at II cents a pound,
and the American boraX trust was eX.
porting its product to England at that
time, as it has been for Sevaral wears,
and selling it there for less than half
what it charged our people?
Questions of this sort might be multi
piled to fill book, but our purpose is
only to open up the subject, and we
hardly think that the Post will continue
in its present frame of mind if it makes
such careful investigation as Will en-
able it to give candid answer to the
foregoing questions Such an investiga-
ton we believe ought to make it revise
its opinion that the the trusts are only
'eNcrescences of prosperous condi-
TONS