The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1901-08-31
DILEMMA OF REPUBLICANS.
rrormous Growth of Trusts ana
MonopoIies Under Protection
Them.

The unexpected often happens In
politics. When the republicans enact
ed the Dingley tariff bill they said it
settled the tariff question and that the
policy of protection would not again
be disturbed. They claim that pros
perity is dependent upon the main
tanning of the protection wall they
have so carefully erected. But sud
denly some of the most pronounced
friends of protection express their
purpose of making a breach in the
wall, and the whole tariff matter is
again brought up for discussion by the
very men who said it was settled for all
time. The enormous growth of trusts
and ~monopolies under the protection
granted them by the republicans was
| foretold by the democrats when the
Dingley bill was enacted, and now h
people are being aroused by the fact
that the foreigners are buying trust
productions for less than they are.
the allies of the trusts in congress are
in a dilemma. They must cut of pro-
| lection from the trusts or the prospect
| of defeat stares them in the face. But
to acknowledge they are wrong and
that their theory of protection is at
fault is another predicament, and the
great majority of the republicans, I'M
der the leadership of Hanna and the
president, have determined to evade
the strait they are in by the %unconsti-
tutional and roundabout way of reci-
procity.
But reciprocity will not accomplish
what the people are demanding, that
protection be withdrawn from the
looming up to disarrange the protec-
ton theory, and the only way thai
can be averted is by giving up the
colonies that have been acquired by
the expenditure of such vast sums
and the sacrifice of so many lives
This the Nashville American dis,
cusses when it says: "After a delay
for which there was no defense, free
trade has been established will
Porto Rico. The country has finally
performed its "plain duty" as point
ed out by President Mckinley be
fore he signed the rorto Rico tariff
bill. Free trade between all Ameri
can possessions is a policy which ne
party can afford to ignore or defy
When the republican party, through
force of circumstances which NJ
party could control, accepted ant
adopted the old democratic policy O.
territorial expansion, it entered upoi
a policy which is the enemy of a tar
if policy. Expansion and free trad
go together. A severe blow wa
struck the republican policy of a pro
t~ective tariff when Dewey's guns il
Manila bay gave to this country tn
Philippine archipelago, and when tn
war with Spain gave us Porto Ric,
and paved the way for the ultimat
annexation of Cuba. Free trade ha
been established with Porto Rice
and free trade with the Philippine
must follow. 1t is inevitable. ES
pansion is an entering wedge whic,
must eventually drive asunder tn
tariff wall erected by republican leg
islation. The tobacco and cane an
beet sugar and rice and fruit grow
ers may succeed in delaying fire.
trade with the Philippines, as the
have delayed for a time free trad
with Porto Rico, but the time is no
far away when trade will be as fire
between the Philippines and tn
United States as it is between tn
|, states of the American union. An
J the time is coming when there will b
, free trade with Cuba also. The logi
of events will force free trade in otl
err directions"
The only way the people will eve
get any relief from TIE tariff tax an
2 the extortion of the protected trust
, is by revising the tariff on the demo
? cratic principle of a tariff for revenu
only large enough to produce wha
= money the government require
economically administered. Prote'
ton is the mother OF trusts and mu:
go the way of all monopolies.