The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-04-17

combinations in the match manufacture
are to be found in other laws encourag-
ing monopoly, which are still main
tained.
TARIFF THE MOTHER OF AMERI-
CAN TRUSTS.
The tariff is the most fertile source
of American monopolies. During the
last thirty of forty years hardly an in
stance has been known in which an
American monopoly has been denied any
part of the benefits which it has de-
manded 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 parties who are
interested in preventing foreign compc-
tition and securing for themselves n
monopoly of the domestic trade. These
facts and their effects upon the promo
tion of monopolies have been shown so
clearly by former writers 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 people
shrink from competition with other ma
tions of the earth, and deem themselves
justified in preventing such competi-
tion 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 COM
petition also. Neither have Americans,
who believe in preventing foreign COM
petition by force, any moral right 70
complain of capitalists, who prevent
domestic competition by fraud. The one
is just as moral, or immoral, as the
other.
FUNDAMENTAL REMEDY.
And thus we come at last to the fun
damental remedy which is needed. The
fundamental cause of American mon
opolies is to be found in the lack Of
honesty justice, business courage and
love of fair dealing, which is unfortuna-
tely characteristic of a vast majority Of
the human race, not excepting the peo-
pie in the United States of America.
Whenever a majority of the American
people demand simple justice, neither
more nor less, for themselves, all these
questions will be speedily settled, and
trusts will dissolve like snow in sum-
mer. For any man who demands and
receives exact justice for himself, and
no more, necessarily comedies precisely
as much to every one else; and if no
man received 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 impossible
TO give less than justice to all men at
once, as 1t 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 obvious to
the ordinary mind that it is equally
absurd to insist upon freedom of COM
petition within the borders of the United
States, while excluding from without.
Nevertheless, the exclusion of competi-
tion is quite as unjust and injurious
in the one case, as in the other; and the
demand for freedom of competition at
home, while denying freedom of COM
petition from abroad, is absurd and
suicidal. The laws Of nature cannot be
persuaded to work only half way. No
man can take poison and yet enjoy
good health. No man can enslave an
other, yet remain entirely free himself.
Neither can any man or nation draw
an artificial line and say, within these
boundaries competition shall be perfect
ly free but outside OF these boundaries
there shall be no competition at ALL"
The remedy, and the only remedy, for
the evils of domestic monopolies, is the
repeal of all laws which pretend to
give to any man, rich or poor Ameri
can or European, any protection against
natural competition, any artificial
monopoly of natural resources or any
advantages which is not thrown open,
on equal terms, to all human beings.
Who would be freemen. must set all
men free.
THOMAS C. SHEARMAN.
New York, April, s. 1900.