The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-01-22
TO KILL THE TRUSTS.
Remedy Suggested Is Reform In the
Existing Tariff Laws.


To the Editor of the Globe:
Can this counary afford longer to daily
with the trust nuisance? Some of our
statesmen, in attempting to meet the diff
ferent factors that enter into the trust
problem, seem to have lost their sense
of proportion, and, by so doing, their
balance of character, and SO being out Of
poise they are disposed to truckle when
confronted by this growing evil. few
seem to have hypnotized themselves into
the belief that the trusts are real bless
ing, but the American people, the farmer
and the consumer of trust products,
have had all the experience and all the
education that they need, and they are
now ready to fight the trusts to a finish.
and any. man who would call for more
experience would have cried for more
water in the deluge. If 1t be true that the
strength of the wolf is in the pack, then
by parity of reasoning the evil that a
single industry can do lies in the COM
bined power, and the potentiality OF all
trusts Is in the direct ratio of the pro-
lection that is afforded them, the greater
the protection the greater their potency
for evil. Under the paternalism or a
high protective tariff that walls out for
eign competition by putting an obstruc,
tive tax on trade, and trusts have be-
come possible, the tariff has become the
citadel of their strength, and herein they
have intrenched themselves. Some or
our astute politicians aver that the trusts
are not guilty of any moral obliquity,
because they are not amenable to any
ethical rules or dOgmas, nor do they come
under the restraint Of true civics, for
it Is claimed that they occupy a zone
that is peculiarly their own, whose de-
Limitation is that Of business Accepting
this view of the case, then, why are they
not conducted on business principles? l
apprehend that when this trust problem
is Invested of its surface covering, 1t will
be found to be permeated with rottenness
and fraud, a veritabe robbers roost,
and the habitat of thieves. No legitimate
business should ever be overcapitalized.
ANY concern that issues industrial stocks
that are half real and half water is a
fraud. and in attempting to make o.
vidends upon such capitalization, prices
must be greatly inflated to the prejudice
of the consumer Not only this but the
tendency of all trusts is to break down
and minimize the price of all raw ma
terial, such as cotton, wheat. and all &C.
reals, for the cheaper raw materials are,
the less capital will be required in con-
Quoting manufacturing business. The
trust is a double acting concern that cuts
both ways First, it cuts down the
into the pockets of the consumer.
IT can be readily shown that American
products are being sold in the English
market and the markets of the Orient al
a price below the cost of production, the
American manufacturer recouping him
self against loss by putting up the price
of products in the American market from
% to 80 per cent. The American farmer
can enter English markets and buy ma
chinery of all kinds cheaper than he can
buy the same articles at his own door,
and what is true Of machinery is also
true of all other manufactured articles
Flour at one time during the past year
sold for $3.50 in the Minneapolis market,
while the same grade Of -four only
brought Sc. 70 in the foreign market. When
the differences of price and transportation
are considered -four sold 40 per cent high
or at home than 1t did in the foreign
market. and so 1t must be inferred that
the tariff and trusts are co-eXistent and
CO. workers in their malign and Daleful
influence upon general prosperity. There
fore in proposing a remedy they should
be treated conformity. and the first thing
in order should be modification OF the
tariff. while the trust should be treated as
a disease that has fastened upon the
body polite.
The Sherman law is declared to be in
efficient by DR., Attorney General Griggs'
former corporation attorney, while Dr..
Grosvenor, M. c., declares that the Sher-
man antitrust law is all right; all that
is wanted is some one competent to en-
force it. 1t is possible that this by-play
upon the Sherman antitrust act is a
ruse calculated to pull the wool over the
eyes of the people The game of the party
now in power is to close the present con-
press without any new legislation affect
ing the trusts. The Republican party Is
in a dilemma. If it passes law that
will stamp out the trusts 1t will incur the
anger of the combinations, and on the
other hand if 1t does not do something to
destroy the trusts 1t will fall under the
ban of popular condemnation. >" ar
friends, the enemy, find themselves pc
tween the devil and the deep sea. Now
as to the remedy for the trusts. 1t is
my opinion that congress should enact
law compelling all trusts to incorporate
ana then tax them out of existence the
same as tie state bank notes were taxed
out of existence. Once incorporate