The St. Louis Republic., 1901-02-26
PLEADING FOR THE TRUSTS.

Representative fearce oi 81. 'ou'S 'i-
nalizes his retirement from Congress u!
raising plaintive wall OF protest
against the bill to put the products man
uiactured by the great trusts Oh 'he
country on the free list. He Is hiien
with alarm by the Democratic pro
.ramme to fight the trusts in the ohiS
possible way that is effective and law1ui.
IL Is quite natural. because II Is ai'o.
gether in accord with the teachings oil
his party. that Mr.. Peirce should see
potency in the argument that the Dill I"
put the products of the trusts on the
free list would bring the Government no
benefit because Ii would produce no rev
enue That IL Il familiar fallacy OF the
Republican party. which always dls-
eliminates between the Government ana
the people. as IL they were necessarily
essentially distinct and separate entities.
II never occurs TO a Republican poilti-
clan that whatever benefits the people OF
necessity benefits the Government also.
There is no occasion for surprise, there
fore that Mr.. Pearce cannot see that
free-trade measure can very readily De
of great benefit to the Government OF
the United States even though it brings
no revenue at all Yet he might recall
the pertinent fact that the prohibitive
rates of our present protective tariff
schedules. having an exactly like effect,
are equally without benefit to the Gov
eminent.
There is the usual Republican pre-
tense IN Mr.. Pearce's professed sOlici-
tude for the interests and welfare of the
artisans I'm the employ Of the great trust
industries. That is another old story.
The Republican party has always
cloaked its bcnevolence to capital with
similar professions, pretending that the
chief intent of it's high tariff laws is to-
protect American workingmen against
the pauper labor of Europe.
Two hypocritical professions are the
excuses for the prohibitive rates of our
present tariff laws. and both are pre-
lenses only. 1t is not a fact that pro-
hibitive tariff is necessary TO sustain
wages Of American workingmen. nor is
it true i'm any substantial degree that the
same prohibitive schedules are necessary
Think of the great Steel Trust with
more than thousand millions of con-
solidated capital, posing before Congress
and the American people as an infant
industry.
Amid the infinite variety of sugges
tiOns that have been put forward i'm re-
sponse to the urgent demand of the
American people for some adequate
form of legislation TO curb the extraOr-
dinary power of the great combinations
OF capital that have recently come into
existence, none comes nearer to meet
ing the necessities of the problem than
the proposal to put the products Of the
trusts on the free list. Free trade would
restore that competition which the con-
solidation Of competitive enterprises has
definitely aimed to remove. No sensible
person can question for a moment that
the principal object sought by the
projectors Of these great combinations
has been to put an end to competition.
Despite frequent and vehement protest
to the contrary purpose, the usual, il not
The invariable. effect OF trust combina-
tlOnS udS DscH I'LL duVauce OF price tO
the consumer of its products. Where
this has not been the direct result, the
same practical effect, SO far as the pub
lie Is concerned, has been worked by ar
resting that further decline In prices
which, under free and open competition,
would have come about with new and
more modern plants. The combine buys
up or crushes every promising cOmpeti-
tor in this country and the impenetrable
tariff wall keeps the foreign competitor
out of the field.
IL Mr.. Pearce and other Republicans
will reflect that the real intent of Gll
legislation should be the greatest good
to the greatest number they will get
glimmering recognition of 4 great vital
truth. When that truth dawns upon
their Consciousness they will understand
how free trade can be in the interest of
the people, even though it brings no
benefit TO the Government as distin-
guished from the people. At the same
time there will come realization of the
fact that there are other ways TO pro-
duce benefit for the Government than