The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-08-28


the Mckinley tariff bill. This bill was
a protective measure, designed, it was
claimed, to protect American labor. This
may have been the object of its patron
but the subsequent history of the coun-
try during the period proved beyond the
shadow OF doubt that its effect was to
enable the manufacturers Of our country
to fix their own prices on their products.
The American people were quick to see
this, but John Sherman saw it sooner
than they. He knew that there would
be abuses of the protective principle
knew that it would be the making of in.
ordinately rich manufacturers at the eA.
pense of the American people, and that
that was a condition that would inevi-
tably lead to trusts and combinations in
restraint of trade. 1t was to anticipate
this evil, and to Offset it that he offered
and succeeded in having passed the
Sherman ANTITRUST law. Whatever may
have been Senator Sherman's object in
fathering that bill, time has proven that
it served no other purpose than to de-
ceive the people into believing that the
republican party was opposed to trusts
and monopolies, and to stand as an or
nament on the statute books. 1t is
law that is more honored in its breach
than in its keeping. 1t is republican
anti trust cannon that has been spike
and put out of comn sson bv rich con-
tributions from the very interests that it
was aimed at to the campaign Golfers of
the republican party. Its utter useless
ness has been conceded by the republi-
cans themselves, who are now coming
out and favoring more stringent legisa.
ton for the control of the trusts. The
people are at last awakening to the fact
that the Dingley bill of 1897 is more of
monopoly.sheltering. trust-fostering
measure than the Mckinley bill. Realiz-
ing that fact, they are insisting, in un.
mistakable language, that there shall be
revision of the tariff, and that the
trusts must go. Itis to ease this senti-
ment, and lead the people away from
their insistence that the tariff must be
revised that the present cry of the lead
ers against the trusts is raised. Every
republican politician, from the president
down, is insisting that the trusts must
be curbed. But their cry is like unto
crocodile tears. Let them first tell us
Why, with republican president, a re-
publican senate and a republican house,
i'm short, with entire control of the gov
ernmental machine since 1895, they
have not passed the legislation they
now, on the eve of political campaign
against trusts, pretend to regard as 90
necessary. Let them tell the American
people Why they waited until two DAYS
after the adjournment of congress to
bring the matter to the attention of the
people. Let them explain why they
have not made single bona fide effort
to enforce the laws that are on the stat.
ute books. Let them explain the fact
that every attorney general since 1896
has come from the ranks of the trusts
lawyers. Let them inform the American
voters why the largest contributions to
the republican campaign fund come
from the treasures of the trusts. Let
them give the people light on these
questions, and then, and not till then,
can they hope to have the confidence of
the people. The Dingley bill has made
the necessity for legislation just as the
Mckinley bill made the necessity for the
Sherman antitrust law. What stronger
argument could be desired of the impor-
tance of the removal of the iniquitous
trust breeding schedules of that bill?