The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-10-08
TARIFF REV|S|ONNOREhEDY
Presidents Declaration in a Speech
on Trusts at Cincinnati.
WANTS CONSTITUTION CHANGED
President Roosevelt Believes That In
Curblns tho Trust Evil Much Can DO
Done Even without . Constitutional
Amsndmsnt-Thinkss Supervision Must
Como Through Wisely Framed Laws.

Done Even Without . Constitutional
Amsndmsnt-Thinks Supervision u ust
Como Through Wisely Framed Lavs.
Cincinnati, Ohio. - President Roose-
velt in a speech before a vast audience
that filed the great Music Hall to the
doors. while hundreds stood outside.
reiterated his advocacy Of Government
tai control Of trusts. and condemned
the proposal to revise the tariff as
remedy for trust evils.
The President in opening took up the
matter of trusts Immediately. and for
q time followed the lines Of his recent
speech at Wheeling. W. Va.
The trusts. he said. had produced
both good and evil. They were inevit-
able. and the country could not get rid
Of them. Continuing the President
said:
"The evils attendant upon capitaliza-
ton alone are. in my Judgment. suffi-
clent to warrant far closer super
vision and control than now exists
over the great corporations.
"Wheraver a substantial monopoly
can be shown to exist WE should Ger.
taintly try our utmost to devise an ex-
pedient by which II can be controlled.
1T would be neither just nor expedi-
ent to punish the big corporations rs
big corporations. What We wish to do
Is to protect the people from any evil
that may grow out Of their existence
or maladministration. Some Of these
corporations do we'll and others do Ill.
III In any case the tariff Is found to
foster monopoly which does Ill. why,
Of course. no protectionist would OBJ
tect to q modification Of the tariff suffi-
cient to remedy the evil.
Furthermore. the products Of many
trusts are unprotected, and would be
entirely unaffected by any change In
the tariff, or at most very slightly so.
1.-THE Standard Oil Company offers a
case In point. and the corporations
which control the anthracite coal out
put offer another. for there Is no duty
whatever on anthracite coal.
without regard to the wisdom OF
any one Of these three positions, 1t
remains true that the real evils con-
nected with the trusts cannot be RENE
died by any change In the tariff laws.
The immediate introduction of substan-
tial free trade in all articles manufac.
tured by trusts-that Is, by the largest
and most successful corporations
would not affect some Of the most pow
erful of our business combinations In
the least, save by the damage done
to the general business welfare Of the
country.
"The necessary supervision and con-
troll In which I firmly believe is the
only method Of eliminating the real
evils Of the trusts must come through
wisely and cautiously framed legisla-
ton, which shall aim. In the first place,
to give definite control to some sover-
eign over the great corporations. and
which shall be followed. when once
this power has been conferred. by
system giving to the Government the
full knowledge which Is essential for
satisfactory action"
The celebration over President Roose-
velt's visit came near being marred BY
O panic and great loss Of life.
After the President had been speak.
ing to 5000 persons about fifteen min
utes there was a great commotion in
Mechanical Hall. adjacent to Music
Hall on the north. The sparks from
an electric wire had set curtain on
fire and the Fire Department had been
called to the scene.
The police and attendants soon put
out the fire. but they had much trouble
In controlling the alarmed crowd. Only
with difficulty did Captain J. B. Fora.
ker, SOD Of the Senator, prevent the
Fire Department from rushing into the
building. Happily one Of the bands
struck up. and those who left the audi
torium were supposed to be going out
to stop the music. The auditorium was
30 crowded that cry Of fire or any
panic would have caused terrible Gu
tastrophe.