Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-09-12
}rashin9tuu Standard
JOHNSON VS.. ROOSEVELT
The Ohio Orator pricks the Roosevctian Bub
BILE OF Anti Trust Zeal.

The Ohio Orator Pricks the Rooseveltian Bub.
BILE of Antitrust Zeal.
Mayor Tom Johnson of Cleveland
IN speech before the Democratic
State Convention of Ohio yesterday
1t the wind out OF President Roose-
velt's spectacular antitrust campaign.
The only remedy proposed by the
President for the cure Of the trust evil
Is publicity-the examination by gov
eminent agents OF the account books
OF the trusts Not one word has the
strenuous President said about repeal
ing such tariff duties as afford protec-
ton to rapacious monopolies. If we
believe the declarations of the Repub-
lican State Conventions OF Iowa and
Idaho, such monopolics as the steel
trust, the salt trust, the sugar trust
and the barbed wire-t trust could be
controlled by the removal of the pro.
tective duties that shield them from
foreign competition. In his speech
yesterday Tom Johnson said OF Roose.
velt's trust remedy:
"For this evil our adversaries advise
publicity as the remedy. Publicity
That might protect investors against
fraud; but how could it protect the
public against monopoly, which is the
basis of trusts? Men whose incomes
have increased but little or not at all
but whose living expenses have been
increased enormously, why should
they declare for publicity? What is
needed is not examinations of the &C.
count books of trusts; it is the sweep
ing Of monorolies from the statute
books of the people,"
The trouble with Roosevelt is that
he wishes to curry favor with both the
trusts and the people. He fears to
offend the trusts as he knows bis cleo
ton to the Presidency in 1904 depends
upon their generous contributions to
the Republican campaign fund. He
knows that the American people are
demanding that something be done to
check the rapacity of the trusts and in
order to satisfy this demand, he is
making show Of opposing the trusts.
But so far he has done nothing more
thanto throw grass at the trust-mo-
nopolies which sit on their high
perches and laugh at his harmless
demonstrations of hostility.
It is doubtful whether the American
people can be fooled by the windmill
campaign that our quixotic President
10 now waging against the industrial
combines. There is q strong and
growing sentiment in the Republican
party for the revision of the tariff for
the purpose of eliminating some OF the
most dangerous trust that are now
levying tribute upon the people.
The Hartford Couramt, Republican
paper. says: But the fact that pro.
lection has done SO much is As far as
possible from justifying the abuse of
it by what may be called the hog ele-
ment in trade. 1t is perfectly fair
game for the opposition to show up
trusts that, entrenched behind protec.
tive laws, either tariff or patents, sell
their goods abroad at lower figures
than they sell them at 10 the very
nation whose people give them the
protection that is their life. It is rob-
berry. The man who said he was sell
ing goods below cost and so could only
maintain himself by doing a very
large business at it, il by-word for
idiocy. No successful concern sells
its products at less than cost, and
if goods can be sold at q certain figure
in London or South Africa, when
made in America, then they can be
sold for more profit right where they
are made, and the man who denies
that seriously needs conservator.
The protection given to trusts that
sell abroad cheaper than at home
should be taken off at once"
NN