Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-04-12
vert to this condition? If there is he
should be placed in an asylum, or be
urged to leave the country for its good.
San Francisco Chronicle.

San francisco Chronicle.
No Tariff TinkcrinE Now.
Representative Babcock's elbow at
the steel trust" embodied III his bill to
repeal those sections of the Dingley
law Which impose Il tariff upon mnteri-
ais used by the steel and wire concerns,
will probably not matcrialize at this
session of Congress. Another member
of the Ways and Means Committee of
the House. of which Mr.. Babcock is
also Il member, says the repeal of the
duty OH these materials would not af-
feet the large corporations. us tbay do
not need protection. but it would af-
feet smaller concerns which now man.
age to compete with the big trusts and
do a profitable business. There are IL
number OF such small concerns in eN-
istence. Notwithstanding the popular
impression TO the contrary, and should
the duty be removed the foreign COM
petitors. in conjunction with the big
trusts here, would be able to wipe the
little fellows out of existence. The
tariff is an essential protection of the
small manufacturer, but it doesn't cut
much figure With concerns controlling
immense capital, one way or the other.
1t is too late in the session to begin
tinsering with the tariff. Any tariff
revision should be done deliberately
and plenty of time should be given for
discussion. The beginning of q new
Congress. and not the tail end of an
old one. would he Il more fitting time
to undertake such Il work.
Ii the big steel trust is so profitable
as represented, it will not be long be-
fore capital. of which there is abund-
ance in this country. will he attracted
into rival organizations. The operation
of economic laws always tends to TN
derminc monopoly and reduce excess
sivc profits.-Minneapolis Tribune.
Which Would &c Hurt Most.
When there is talk of remedying the
evils OF trusts by the abolition of our
protective system it is just as we'll to
take IL little time for meditation and to
consider whether, by that method. some
other things which are not evils would
not be affected along with the trusts.
President Mckinley nee said:
You nay close the shops by adverse
tariffs because you imagine the manu-
facturer is making toe much. but with
that done you close the loo of employ
ment in the face of the laborer whose
only capital is his labor"
This same line of reasoning may be
applied TO the question of trusts. BY
the abolition of our protective system
we might cripple some of the trusts;
hut, if we did, it would be only because
we would cripple the industries in
which trusts exist. LII we are put to Il
choice. it would be better to have So
called trust magnates' make a some
what larger profit than they are justly
entitled to than to have the laboring
men of the country make nothing at
all. Whatever evils exist in our pres
ent industrial conditions exist apart
from and Independent of the tariff. and
they should be so discussed. and q
remedy should be applied which will
remedy only the evils existing ana not
II which, in %remedying evils, would
sweep away all advantages as well,
and would destroy our splendid ma.
tional prosperity.