The evening times., 1900-10-08


Democratic managers are pointing out
that the Kansas City platform pledges one
remedy for trusts that will be an effective
one SO far as concerns those trusts that
are protected by the tariff This pledge
is: Tariff laws should be amended by put
ting the products Of trusts upon the free
list to prevent monopoly under the plea OF
protection
During his first term in Congress, May
IS, 1892, Mr.. Bryan introduced bill il
line with this pledge.
This plan. 1t is said, must commend itself
to intelligent men and the question why
did the Republican party fail to make
such a pledge" viii naturally arise. Was
It, ii is asked. because that plan was not
called to the attention Of the Republican
leaders? The records show that the same
plan recommended by the Kansas City Con-
rention was called TO the attention OF the
Republican leaders and that it had the
hearty endorsement of some prominent Re-
publicans and Of many Republican newspa-
pers-
AS long ago as October Is, 1888, John
Sherman. then United States Senator. in
g speech, delivered in the Senate. said:
Whenever this free competition is eYad-
ed or avoided By combination OF indiVid-
uals or corporations, the duty should be
reduced and foreign competition promptly
invited
On August 26. 1891, Senator Plumb Re
publican, OF Kansas. made speech against
the Mckinley tariff. In his speech sene-
tor Plumb said:
There are dozens of lines of manufac-
lures covered by the terms of this bill
which are controlled by trusts. l 40 not
know Of any better way to start in at least
TO reduce the exactions of trusts than to
cut down the shelter behind which trusts
are created
Governor Mount, of Indiana. December.
1899 speaking to the INDIAN hotel keep
ers. said:
Il emphatically favor removing all tariff
protection from every industry that belongs
TO a combination formed in restraint of
trade
Ex-senator wasnburn Of Minnesota said
in an interview in the New York Trib-
uue'' of September II, 1893:
The Republican party. whether justly
or untustly. is associated with trusts il
the minds of the masses. AS party We
have reached crisis where We have got to
call a hat The Republican party has got
TO disconnect itself from trusts. II has got
to co something more than TO adopt plat
form planks against trusts.
1t seems to me- after giving the matter
d great deal of thought, that the Repub-
lieans in Congress will have TO examine
the subject thoroughly. and whenever they
find a trust is depending for its exoTbitant
profits largely on protective duties, it Will
be the duty of Republican Congressman
and Senators to remove the duties at once.
We cannot step short of that the duties
must be repealed when it is shown that the
trusts are benefiting by them. This should
be done with the duty on steel rails and On
tinpIate-''
Recently the White Paper Trust began
bearing down upon the consumers of white
paper Then Republican papers deHa nded
that the plan recommended by the Kansas
City platform be applied as protection TO
the paper consumers. Following are sam
pies:
Chicago Times-Herald," March. 1899:
Most certainly it should be the duty Of
Congress in both branches Of which the
Republicans have a majority to abolish or
suspend the protective duty On the prod
ucts Of any industry which has been organ
ized into trust, and which has arbitrarily
raised the prices of such products
Minneapolis Journal" October @ 1899.
THE Senator is so eminently correct in
hts position that tariff duties which enable
trusts or any other kind of monopolies to
raise prices above the point at which they
could otherwise be maintained should be
lowered in the public interest, that we
must range ourselves beside him on that
proposition"
New York Commercial Advertiser in
the fall Of 1893:
THE time VIII soon come when public
opinion will nomore tolerate protective du-
ties on trust products for protection
should logically promote home competition,
while trust organization destroys it,
Portland OTegonian,' March, 1900:
Because the Paper Trust has put I'D the
price OF printing paper to an unconscionabIa
figure, Representative DeVries of Califor-
MA has introduced bill to repeal the duty
On printing paper and the material of which
it is made. 1t is very well; but there are
about forty more big trusts that have been
helped through protective tariff, and should
be dealt with the same way"
Hartford Courant." December. 1893:
This paper declared that the President
should have closed his trust discussion in
his message with a straight-from- the
shoulder recommendation for the immedi-
ate repeal of any and every protective Gus
toms duty behind which price raising
monopoly is squatted.
Dubuque (Iowa) Times" January 20,
1900:
THE Paper Trust is making hay while
the sun shines, The simple remedy lies
in the repeal Cf the tariff used to suppress
competition and to rob the publishers and
through them the public. Congress should
lose no time in wiping 1t of the statute
books. and should not stop until every 9TH
er duty which operates to suppress compe-
tition or enhance the value OF the bounties
of nature in private hands is repealed"
philadelphia Ledger" February. 1899:
What is imperatively required is a re-
vision OF the tariff such as will modify
upon the free list all foreign goods, wheth-
er raw material or finished product, that
are the subject of domestic monopoly"
s'St. Paul Pioneer-Press,' April 1900:
1.-THE whole list of protected monopolies
of a tariff reform which would enable for
eign competition to put limit on their
ability to raise prices"
Rockford -lIll) Republic" January 90.
1900:
AT a meeting a few days ago az Denver
the Colorado Editorial Association adopt-
ed resolutions demanding the repeal of
the tariff on wood pulp and all other ma
terials entering into the manufacture of
print paper. There are many other trusts
entrenehed securely behind tariff duties,
which shut out foreign competition and
enable American monopolies to rob con-
sumers. There should be a sweeping re-
peal Of protection, which is made the op-
portunity for such merciiess exaction5 as
the Print Paper Trust has laid On the
newspapers OF the United States
The Republican Club Of Harvard Uniyer-
sity on Wednesday, May 16, 1900, adopted
a pIaffnrn, aDprOyiug various measures.