Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-09-26
TURNER ON TRUSTS.
WORST OF THEM FOSTERED BY
HIGH TARIFF.

Testimony-Babcock Saw II and Attempted
to Remove Duty on Trust Articles.
To THE EDITOR OF THE SPOKESMAN.
REVIEW:
I have followed the speeches OF the
President on the trust question with
great interest. He is not a constitu.
tional lawyer and may be pardoned
for adopting the views Of those on
whom he leans concerning the legal
aspect of the question. The course oi
his life, moreover, has been such az to
leave some doubt if he has been q
close student of political economy,
and I am not disposed to quarrel with
him for adopting the stock-view of his
political associates concerning the in.
fluences which have brought the trusts
into existence; the division OF trusts
into good trusts and bad trusts, and
the tenderness with which we must
deal with even the bad ones, if we are
not to bring on business paralysis.
Therefore, while do no. agree with
him entirely in either his diagnosis OF
the disease, or his remedy therefor.
give him the need of being sincere in
his reprobation of the evils OF trust
combinations and in desiring their
suppression; and I welcome his con-
tribution as one which will do more
than anything else Of recent years to
awaken public sentiment and to lead
to the ultimate suppression OF the
trusts.
We hear much loose talk about
these giant combinations being a de.
velopment OF the age and one of the
necessities which that development
has produced. As matter OF fact, the
development Of the age, working itself
out by natural laws, would render
them not only not necessary but not
possible. As wealth increases and
commerce improves. the opportunities
for the individual are multiplied and
the natural and inevitable tendency is
toward individual competition, rather
than toward monopolistic combina-
ton. The latter is so unnatural, so
oppressive. SO opposed to the healthy
development of commerce that it
would be impossible but for abnormal
conditions of which it has taken ad.
vantage and from which it does not
propose to part without a titanic strug-
gle.
The trusts are of two causes. First,
those created by the cornering of tie
natural bounties OF the Almighty, such
as iron, cool, oil and gas; and second,
those created by the prohibitory tariff
wall erected around this country which
bars out foreign competition and en-.
ables selfish interests, by combination,
TO levy tribute at will on the American
people.
The trusts Of the first.class are not
numerous because of the difficulty OF
cornering the natural bounties. and
they are not complete monopolies be-
cause they can not completely destroy
competition. OF this class is the
Standard Oil trust. which has spread
its tentacles all over the country. and
the numerous coal and natural gas
trusts in the east, OF which We read,
but which are local in their operation.
The steel trust is helped somewhat
by its largo holdings OF iron lands, but
its cinch comes from the prohibitive
tariff system, and it could not exist q
day without it.
Trusts OF the first.class are difficult
to deal with because their advantage
is the result of property holdings.
which are vested rights and are pro-
tected by the constitution. Still the
commerce clause Of the national con-
stitution is broad enough to cover
them and to authorize Congress TO
legislate for their suppression and de.
struction.
In my opinion, the antitrust law OF
1890, enacted under the clause of the
constitution, is broad enough, if vigor-
ously administered, to suppress and
destroy them. Because OF their linn
tied power, which power is being still
further limited each day by new dis
coveries and fuller development. the
country would not be irreparably in
jured even if it were found that the
national government was devoid Ofcon-
stitutional power to deal with them.
1t ia trusts of the second-class which
are most numerous and most oppres-
sive and burdensome. Their number
is legion, their capital prodigious and
their control Of the prices Of manu-.
factured commodities absolute and un-
qualified. They were formed because
the improved processes of manufac.
ture, aided by our intelligent labor,
had brought the cost OF manufactur.
ing in this country down to . level
with the cost in Europe, and the keen
competition between domestic manu-.
facturers had given the American peo.
pie the benefit of prices but shade
higher than European prices. It did