The Saint Paul globe., 1900-12-11
interest and 1t would be we'll If the same
sentiment in its fullest sense were also
extended to the English-spealing
branches of the Germanic race.



| the opportunity of congressman of all
! political parties to make good their cam
| paign professions to enact practical leg
! islation for relief from the eXactions Of
trusts. BY federal statute, as by the
statutory law Of a majority of the states
| and by common law Of the land, as
handed down by the highest courts from
the time of Coke and Blackstone to that
United States is an outlaw. Neverthe
less, this trust outlaw in this country to-
day boasts of a membership exceeding
/ LOCO, and a capitalization reaching the
worst phase of the situation is that the
| trust-breeding industry exhibits no de-
cline, but, on the other hand, is enjoying
| the most marvellous epoch Of develop
ment. More trusts have been organized
during the past four years, and parttcu-
| larly since the passage of the Dingley
tariff, than during all the previous his
| tory of the nation.
That the trust should find phenomenal
| prosperity in the face Of hostile law is
chargeahle to three causes: First, the
nonfeasanee or maIfeasance of officials
entrusted with the enforcement of the
law; second, the inefficiency Of existing
legislative remedies; and third, and, per-
haps, chief Of all, the maintenance Of
|
anpul and give the lie to all antitrust
legislation.
What can one think Of the sincerity of
a congressional majority WHICH pretends
to stand opposed to trusts and at the
same time enaets legislation for the pro-
lection Of trusts? How consistently op-
| posed to monopoly is that administration
| which champions legislation to create
monopoly?e How sincerely antagonisttc
to trusts is that congress which would
employ the tax power of the nation to
prohibit the trade competition which
would curtail or eliminate the monopoly
power of the trust? When We erect and
maintain tariff wall to protect the
trust and fine with heavy revenue exac-
lions any citizen who would buy the
comforts and necessaries Of life outside
OF the territory of the trust, what virtue
is there in our antitrust professions and
legislative clap-trap?
1t is not pretended that the removal
OF tariff protection from trust-made
and trust-controlled goods would be p
complete remedy for the trust species
There are trusts like Standard Oil.
which have monopoly of natural re-
sources and thereby are Independent of
all tariffs or other monopoly breeding
legislation. But these are the excep-
tions. Outside of this small trust fam
lly' Which live upon monopoly of nat
ural resources, there is the vast family
Of factory trusts which depend upon a.
monopoly created for them by law, and
first of all, by the tariff law These
are the trusts whose representatives
swarm in such number in the Iebbies
at Washington, whenever the govern
ment attempts to amend the revenue
laws These are the trusts which will
not permit congress, even when the
president calls upon it in the name of
plain duty" to do simple justice to
starving little Porto Rico. These are
the trusts which coerce the government
into giving them, on the plea of ''pro-
lection to labor and infant industry
the highest protective tariff known to the
history of nations.
Few readers, even Of our best posted
business men, realize the amount ard
extent Of the tariff protection given to
our hoary headed infant industries -
now for the most part organized into
trusts. Still fewer people realize what
extensive efforts are made by the gov
| ernment through the tariff to protect and
maintain trusts. Look at the following
examples:
The iron and steel trusts, which need
no tariff protection whatever and are
amply able to take care of al cempe-
titors not only at home, but in any and
tariff protection which averages about
| 45 per cent ad valorem. The American
people, last year, were fined $5,14O,7S4 for
the temerity of purchasing $1l,eo9N00
worth of iron and steel articles from for
eign makers rather than from extortion-
ate American trusts. Is that the way for a
great nation to treat citizens who are
robbed by the trust outlaw? Deprive
them of the natural right of freedom
Of trade, for fear the trust could not
by fair commercial means hold their
trade and levy upon them its illegal ex-
tortion?
/ The leather trust is protected against
foreign interference with its monopoly
by a tax of s4.OOO0 COO upon the American
consumers who use about 81, ,oOO,00O of
goods made outside of its territory.
Customs duties amounting to over
$2,5QG0OO per annum, or over 80 per cent
! of the value of the imported goods, are
assessed against citizens who seek to
escape the glass monopoly.
Tariff exactions reaching the large sum
of SIT, ,OOO, 900 per annum are levied against
American consumers Of SS1, 100000 worth
of cotton goods produced outside of the
realm of the newly organized cotton
goods trust This is a protection of So
| per cent ad valorem for an industry
which was self-sustafntng a half century
ago.
On rrnnlen goods for the nrntectinn Of