Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-04-16

CO, afford some great advantages to
monopolies AS it is our object in this
article not to specify any particular
monopoly now existing, we prefer to
illustrate the point by reference to
the match manufacturers, in the days
when there was an internal revenue
tax OF one cent a box. 1t is we'll
known that the result OF that tax was
to destroy Immediately all manufact-
urers, and to concentrate the BUSH
ness in the hands of two or three
great corporations. When that tax
was repealed in 1883. these monopolie5
fell of their own weight, and it was
many years before they could be re-
constructed. The present great COM
binations in the match manufacture
are to be found in other laws encour-
aging monopoly, which are still main
tanned.
Tariff the Mother of American Trusts
The tariff is the most fertile source
Of American monopolies. During the
last thirty or forty years hardly an
instance has been known in which an
American monopoly has been denied
any part of the benefits which is has
demanded in the enactment of tariff
laws. In 1890 and 1897, this rule was
without any known exception. In 1894
there were but few exceptions. Tariffs
are always made up by the very par
ties who are interested in preventing
foreign competition and securing for
themselves monopoly of the domestic
trade. These facts and their effects
upon the promotion of monopolies
have been shown SO clearly by former
writer's in this series Of articles, that
nothing more need be said here upon
the point.
1t is simply absurd to make any
effort to prohibit or to regulate trusts
and combinations, while their causes
are left untouched. If the American
pCOplC lin llOll COlaPCI1ClOll VAN
other nations of the earth, and deem
themselves justified in preventing such
competition by force, they have no
moral right to complain if American
capitalists take advantage of the laws
which prevent foreign competition, to
make of them instruments to prevent
domestic competition also. Neither
have Americans, who believe in pre-
venting foreign competition by force,
any moral right to complain of cap
italists, who prevent domestic COM
petition by fraud. The one is just as
moral, or immoral, as the other.
Fundamental Remedy.
And thus we come, at last, to the
fundamental remedy which is needed.
The fundamental cause of American
monopolies is to be found in the lack
of honesty, justice, business courage
and love of fair dealing, which is I'M
fortunately characteristic of vast ma
jority of the human race, not except
ing the people in the United States
of America. Whenever majority of
the American people demand simple
justice, neither more nor less, for
themselves, all these questions will be
speedily settled, and trusts will dis
solve like snow in summer. For any
man who demands and receives exact
justice for himself, and no more, nee
essarily comedies precisely as much to
every one else; and if no man re-
ceived any more than justice, every
man would receive justice No right
can be taken away from any one man,
without comforting more than his
right upon another. 1t is as impossi-
BILE to give less than justice to all men
at once, as it is to cut off a section
of the air and destroy It, leaving a
blank.
The inconsistency of any man who
demands that competition shall be free,
when it works in his favor, but Shall
be prohibited, when it works against
him, is obvious. But it is not so OBJ
vious to the ordinary mind that it is
equally absurd to insist upon freedom
of competition within the borders OF
the United States, while excluding
competition from without. Neverthe-
less, the exclusion of competition is
quite as unjust and injurious in the
one case, as in the other; and the de-
mand for freedom of competition at
| home, while denying freedom of COM