Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-12-10
"The Mother of Trusts. y

The more one examines President
Roosevelt's treatment of the tariff in
its relation to the trusts the more he is
amazed that such deliverance should
come from man who is reputed to be
exceptionally courageous rs we'll as in
telligent above the average.
OF tariff reduction as q means of
reaching the evils of trusts Mr.. Roose.
welt says: "Not merely would this be
wholly ineffective, but the diversion of
our efforts in such a direction would
mean the abandonment of all Intelligent
attempt to do away with these evils. :"
wholly ineffective?" Then why
does Mr.. Roosevelt say further on that
"of course if in any case it be found
that given rate of duty does promote
q monopoly which works Ill no pro.
tectionist would object to such reduc-
tion of the duty as would equalize COM
petition?" And why does he himself
propose to put antrscite coal on the free
list?
Bigoted tariff monopolist as he is, Mr..
Roosevelt cannot quite close his eyes to
the fact stated by that great trust pro-
tectee, Mr.. Havemeyer, that "the tariff
is the mother of trusts"
Mr.. Roosevelt must more than suspect
that "efforts" to deprive the trusts of
their tariff shelter would not mean the
abandonment of all, or even any, intelli.
gent attempt to do away with the evils
of trusts in other ways.
To abolish or reduce the duties which
enables trusts to export from the
American people 25 to 100 per cent
more for their products than they are
gladto get from the people of Other
countries would in no way hinder us
from adopting other measures for the
abatement of trust evils except BY rend
ering other measures unnecessary.
What Mr.. Roosevelt carefully avoids
throughout his somewhat extended dis.
course on this subject is the fact tina,
very many articles are exported in gres,
quantities and sold at world prices ir
open competition with all comers. ever
In their own markets, while they ar,
sold at prices ranging from 25 to Ion
per cent higher to American people.
This is not theory, but fact-notor
ious fact. 1t is also admitted fact-ant
the people who are playing this game o
extortion try to make US believe 1t is al
right-that it ls quite the correct thin,
to bleed Americans in order to ensbl
some of them to sell goods much cheap
or abroad than at home and yet smss
huge fortunes.
There are Americans who say this /
not all right, but all wrong, and the
are not democrats exclusively. Th
western woods and In some locslitie
the eastern are full of republicans VIII
are heartily sick of this sort of thin
and will make themselves heard in on
way or another.
They know, If Mr.. Roosevelt doc
not, that 1t is the tariff and nothing els
that enables our manufacturers, whetf
or organized into trusts or not, to exat
more for their goods at home than the
get for them abroad.
They know, furthermore, If M
Roosevelt does not, that our produce
are not selling great quantities of the
goods abroad at a loss. They kno
that our protectees sell abroad becauI
they can make money at the pric
q they get and that they can well afford
sell to their own countrymen at tt
same prices.
They are not fooled for one minu
. BY Mr.. Roosevelt's assertion that me
who can afford to sell without prote
tion In the markets of their fierce
competitors would be ruined by selliy
at the same prices at home.
They are getting very tired of tt
{ extortion under shelter of the tariff, al
J the first thing Mr.. Roosevelt kno,
J they will be ready to tear down t
shelter along with the stupidly fal
pretense that 1t is not shelter Of
cago Chronicle.