The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1902-10-09
TWO WAYS TO Do IT
THE PROPOSED FOREIGN CURE
FOR TRUST EVILS.
Tariff Reduction Would Make Our
Country Dumping Ground for the
Surplus Production of Cheap Labor
in Other Countries.

common charge against the
trusts is that they deliberately
dump their surplus products upon for
eign countries at any price attainable
while keeping up prices at home That
is probably true of the trusts, for it is
true of every manufacturing concern,
big or little, which ever produced a
surplus in this any country 1t is
true of our farmers who secure from
all railroad companies lower freights
on grain and meat destined for export
than on that to be consumed at home,
with the avowed intent to dump our
surplus on other countries. Where no
tariff exists freight rates are made to
answer the purpose The Pacific
coast is and always has been a dump
ing ground for every manufacturer in
America A St Louis manufacturer,
if he has a surplus, will sell it to be
shipped to this coast, or for export.
cheaper than he would sell it into the
territory on which he relies for his
main support So we may assume
that the trusts, in this respect, adhere
to the practice which has obtained in
all countries since international trade
existed-or any other trade, for that
matter. The main object of produc-
ing a surplus is to keep labor en-
ployed during periods of depression
In this employers are Influenced part
ly by the desire to keep a trained force
together and to keep their machinery
going, and also, very largely by feel
ings of humanity At any rate, the
production of SURPRISES in America
does give employment to a vast
number of Americans who would
otherwise be idle. All nations com
pete with each other in the disposal of
surpluses-nearly always at less than
home rates. 1t is not in any sense
peculiar to the trusts
Now there are two ways of dealing
countries One way is to encourage
them to come in, which speedily shuts
up the home industries-and the
smaller first of a11-because no indus
try can compete with goods sold at
cost or less, and nearly all interna-
tiOnal trade has to be in sur
pluses- That is the method which
free trade Democrats desire to
adopt, and they are seeking to direct
the popular prejudice against trusts
against trade practice which existed
before trusts were heard of and will
con tinue to exist after they are under
control, and would exist just the same
if they were blotted out of existence
The other way is that proposed by
German statesmen, and likely to be
adopted by all Europe-to keep sur
p1uses out by a stiff tariff. That, in
the case of sugar, was proposed by the
Brussels sugar conference 1t is like
~ to be applied to all products. Just
now the American copper trust has 9
surplus which it is dumping on any
foreign market which will receive it
But German statesmen won't have it
Although Germany produces but about
one-third the copper which she uses
her people are determined that Ger
man mines shall not be closed dowr
by American copper sold in those mar
kets at less than cost of production
committee of the Reichstag has ac
cordingly proposed duty on raw cop
per, which will apparently be adopted
Germany thinks it more profitable to
| keep her own people employed than to
| buy cheap American copper at the
| cost of the id1eness of a portion of hel
/ own people. 1t is to interest thai
| she should do SO. If our trust sur
| pluses are kept out of foreign coun
| tries they must be sold at home, which
/ will reduce the price of all copper il
| this country. The Republican policy
| is like that of Germany-protect ou1
| industries-trusts and a11-against the
| influx of the SURPRISES of foreign
/ trusts sold here at less than cost. The
| Democratic policy is to invite these
! surp1uses and close down our owT
/ works. It is for the American people
/ to choose between them.-San Fran
/ cisco Chronicle.