The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-11-01
We TNURSE OF TRUSTS
What Carl Schurz Calls the
Protective Tariff
Would be Blessing if the Democrats Garry the
House. The EyiI Of Trusts in
Politics.
CBy the Associated Press.)

his views, which are printed below
What DO you think of the opinion Of
| such a Democrat as Senator Morgan, of
alabama, who believes it would be better
If the Democrats did not control the
lower House of Congress, because under
the present circumstances they could only
act the part of obstructionists -
This opinion seems to me utterly un-
tenablc. Ii is tantamOunt to saying that
whenever ore party controls one branch
Of the Legislature and the Executive
| Power the opposition is bound to yield
| the rest, too, to the unlimited control of
| the dominant party. This is simply non
sense. 1t should be the endeavor OF every
| opposition to win whatever strategic adj
| vantage it can. In every constitutional
government a strong opposition, able to
command respect, is a need deem it
especially important that the Democratic
| opposition should have a majority in The
| lower House, especially just now Such a
majority, of course, will not be in a posi-
| ton 10 PASS laws not agreeable to the Re-
| publican Senate and President, but the
election of such majority will have
wholesome effect in more than one direc-
ton. 1t will furnish proof that the people
/
and command a halt.
You mean this with regard to the tar
| if and the trusts?
| 1T will be so understood in part and it
| viii be very healthy thing for the coun-
try. The Republicans claim that the
country owes it's prosperity, and, indeed
the whole magnifcence of it's industrial
development to the high tariff. This is a
q 70 ,4,s,- 1.
| limitless natural resources of wealth and
an equally iimitless productive energy Of
| its population--was bound TO prosper and
to become great and rich with or in spite
Of any economic policy, whether it be
that of protection or free trade l be-
lieve. however, that the development Of
this prosperity and grea tness under the
policy of high protection has matured a
crop of social contrasts of corruption and
Of political and social Generalization
which would have been spared to US I'M
der a policy of natural and free devel-
cpment, if not altogether, at least in
great part. The question of protection
seems to me, therefore, not a mere ques-
tion of political economy, but even more
question of political morals There is
much talk about the trusts, some OF
which develop into oppressive and blood
| sucking monopolies. This is not their
worst side. A much worse feature is the
| political power they exert and Of which
we already have had few abhorrcnt ex-
tmplos. 1t is denied that the protective
! tariff is the mother of trusts. believe
J the man was right who called the pro-
/ tective tariff if not the mother then al
[ least the wet nurse of many of the trusts
, OF course, where the industry of a coun-
| try hes been built up on a protective
basis, it would not do to jump with 4 big
{ and sudden bound from the extreme Of
{ one policy into the extreme of the oppo-
site policy. The transition must be eff
fected with moderation and circumspec-
ton and certainly also with decision.
J The Republicans are bully of plain So
rhistry when they claim that the pro-
tective tariff should only be revised by
its friends, i. e., the Republicans We
know something of that by experience.
Whenever Republicans, who are COM
pletely dominated by the powers favored
by high protection, go to revise the tar
| if. rates will rather be raised than re-
duced If we would really accomplish
reform of the tariff and the trusts We
must put political power in the hands
OF those who ere not dominated by the
money power of the interests favored by
| the tariff and the trusts. In other
words, the Republican monopoly Of power
must be broken.
There is, however. another reason. and
one much more important, for the wish
| to have the opposition control the lower
| House. This reason concerns the charac-
| ter and good name of the Republic. For
q number of years the Republican party
| has had full control in all branches Of
the National Government During this
time we have witnessed a great political
oye1turning. The fundamental principles
of the republic hallowed by tradition have
given place to policy Of conquest by
force. In the pursuit of this policy of
conquest. things have been done which
have put a blot of shame upon the repu-
tation of the country. 1t is no exaggera-
tion to say that if the Sultan of Turkey
should begin again tomorrow to massa-
Gre his Armenians, to apply the torch tc
their villages, to wiring information from
helpless beings by means of barbaric tor
lures, he Will be in a position 30 cite as
defence and justification of such despotic
horrors, and as presidents, certain things
which have happened under the flag CT
this republic. AS Americans who really
love their country, this is a horrible
thought. ! do not believe that the
American people would have tolerated
such things if they had known of them in
time. Systematic efforts, however, were
made to prevent the people from getting
a clear insight into those events. Never
in the history of the republic have we
had so much secret government. In
republic in which public opinion is to
determine the course of the government
it is above all things necessary that this
public opinion should be we'll informed
The people are entitled to the clearest
and most complete knowledge of public
affairs. Secret government is therefore
absolutely incompatible with free insti-
tutions In this respect it is desirable in
the highest degree, yea, necessary, that
after the long exclusive domination of
one party We should again have a branch
OF the national legislature whose inter-
ests are not bound up with those of the
ruling party, such branch as will have
/ he power TO supply to the people the ne
| cessary light as to what is going on in
aud under the various departments of the
Governments. I shall t1arafora vote FIR