Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1901-04-19
MONOPOLlES AND PROTECTION.

aug OppOSItlOA W lAC 0LHCll l(dH
system of protection the advo-
Gates of free trade assert that
monopolies and trusts are espec-
ial creation and benefciaries of
protection. An intelligent un-
derstanding of what constitutes
a monopoly and what a trust ex-
poses the sophistry of such as
sertions.
If the government should grant
to any number of persons the ex-
elusive right to manufacture
commodity, as woolen cloth, for
Instance, it would create a mo-
nepoly. The history of free
trade England furnishes the most
noteworthy examples of monop-
oily. During the reign of Eliza
beth they became SO Numerous
and powerful that they controlled
every branch of industry and
fixed the price of every commod-
ify. Down through subsequent
Eeigns many of them have main
sained their grip, SO that ia no
other country does monopoly ex-
ist-se extensively and WELD SO
great an influence upon industry
as it does today in free trade
England.
Will free trade advocates name
one section Of eur tariff laws
eRssted at any time in our
national history which confers
on any man or number of men
the sole right to manufacture or
buy and sell any sort of COM
modify? Of course not. No
such legislation exists. Under
oar constitution it would be
utterly null and void. We may
fad msnopolies and corporations
much favored by the laws Of
some of the states but this is
neither the purpose nor the effect
Of our federal tariff laws.
Trusts and syndieates can no
mere be ascribed to the opera
tions of a protective tariff than
menopslies may be. These have
their inception in the desire of
their promoters to cheaper pro-
duction, to control the quantity
produced and>to fix the price of
the product. To accomplish
these things the trust seeks to
destrey all competition and to
render successful competition ira
possible. Certainly the exist
esce of combinations made to
destroy competition should net
be attributed to the operation of
protective tariffs which ineite
competition, and have done so to
such an extent that many of our
manufactured products are now
cheaper than heretofore. "Giye
as free trade and these will be-
come yet cheaper" says the free
trader.
If free trade would lower the
price Of many or all commedi-
ties by reason of foreign conpe-
sitien, our producers would
be compelled to meet such
decrease by cheapening produc-
tion. The urgency of this would
be so great that it could only be
met by reduction Of the wage
scale. Our intelligent workmen
know this.
Monopolies and trusts should
be held under proper legal re-
straint. The causes of their ex-
istenee and their power for good
and fer evil must be sought out
aad carefully studied. Only by
sach means may we be enabled
20 deal with them intelligently
and efficiently. It is a piece of
pure demagogy to attempt to
convert the popular distrust with
which they are regarded into a
mad assault upon protection.
Under our protective system
we have unparalleled prosperity.
Within the last few years the
growth of cur exports of manu-
factured products has been as
founding. The artizans of
Europe are greatly alarmed over
the matter. Encouraged by our
tariff laws the intelligence and
skill of oar American workmen
aad the economy of Our processes
have carried our manufactured
products into sharp competition
with the manufactures of the
werld.
Ifit be true that foreigners
bay our products at lower prices
thaA Americans do,-a charge
not yet substantiated tits quite