The Tucson citizen., 1902-09-10


acute without any serious effort being !
made to bring the com binations under
reasonable control. Nothing has been
done In the way of strengthening the
Sherman antitrust act, or reducing the |
duties on articles manufactured or con-
trolled by trusts, although both reme-
dies have been suggested. The prevail |
ing Republican opinion has been that it
would be better to ''Iet bad enough
alone"
During mis- speech making tour from
Vermont to Tennessee Mr.. Roosevelt
has generalized broadly and introduced
irrelevant matters into his discussion of
the question. But he has also made
certain recommendations which are now
receiving popular attention, He urges
specifically national control OF trusts,
either by additional legislation, or If
that is not practica BILE on account OF
constitutional limitations, by an amend
ment to the Constitution. The Presi-
dent began his stumping tour over two
weeks ago and ends it for the present
today. During all that time he has
maintained a mastery silence on the
subject of the tariff, although that is
weapon which could be turned with
practical effect upon almost. all OF the
trusts now in existence. With few ex-
ceptions, the most influential Repub-
lican newspapers approve the Presl'
dents suggestion of national control OF
trusts by means of an amendment to the
Constitution. The Denver RepG Gblican,
which gives voice to the views OF the
administration in the west, says, III
commenting on the Presidents recon-
mendations:
This is what the people want. Thisis
what the corporations do not want.
From now on every newspaper, every
public man and every man acting as
corporation overlord, big and little. may
be trusted to attack President Roose-
welt, to show that he is on the wrong
track, to yell tariff and to shout mislead-
ing party cries, in the hope and purpose
of preventing legislation which will give
these corporations "a real and not NOM
inal sovereign" equal to regulating their
acts and requiring publicity in their op-
erations.
Suppose that after long anil bitter
struggle, the Constitution is amended &c
that national sovereignty over the trusts
is established. What then? The trusts
may still enjoy the privileges assured to
them by high tarifi--a tariff which en-
ables them to sell their products at hlgf
prices in the home market and to under
sell the foreigners in the markets o
Europe. This policy is not condemned
by the Republican party. On the con
trary it is defended and approved an(
there is no reason to believe that 1t VIII
be modified as long as protectionist doc
trines prevail.
Must the people continue to give
bonus to the trusts for an indefinite pc
: riod in order that our export trade ma,
be built up at the expense of domestl
consumers? Of what national bench
will national control of the trusts be,
: our tariff is of such a nature that tn
u combinations of capital and industr
: will have an undisputed monopoly
/ the home market and will be able
$ charge domestic consumers such price
l. as they choose to exact?
e The national control" which Pres
dent Roosevelt has in mind is matte
n of the dim and distant future. What
3 required is some measure of immediat
h relief. That could be accomplished b
o the means pointed out in the platforl
e of the Democrats of Arizona-by estat
d. fishing free trade in trust controile
le products. This can be done by Cor
t. gress at any time without tinkerng Wit
le the Constitution. Why not make use
or the most available weapon without wal
Iy ing for an indefinite period to stock tt
j. national armory with weapons whiC
20 have not even been designed? A gre
W many of the most oppressive and offe
n sive of the trusts could be bagged vii
o- the old and reliable low-tariff fowlil
piece.