New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1902-09-23
TARIFFS AND TRUSTS.

President ROosevelts Cincinnati speech VIII
give no comfort 10 those noisy hut disingent-
Gus advocates of trust restriction who insist
CD seeing no way to reach the trusts except
through the reputation and suhversion OF
the protective tariff system. The enemies
of protective tariff duties. such. have every
motive Of course. To clamor for the repeal
of schedules which may or may not shield from
competition the output of a domestic "omhma-
ton in the hope OF ultimately breaking down
the tariff barrier against both trust competing
and non-trust competing imports Their chiei
anxiety is naturally, TO force general leveillhs
Of the tariff wall. whether such levelllng ne
effected al the expense of industries within OF
without that pale of combination against Whlch
some legislative remedy is sought
The President made il entirely clear IN us
speech on Saturday that he has no synpa'"E
with that shallow cutlery which seeks 10 '"l
the growing popular demand for some safe
means of trust regulation into mere cTusiu'
against the protective system. such. The dlii'-
GUILTY of adjusting tariff schedules so rs 10 uS7
them as 8 check on such industries. or such Po'-
tions If 2 single industry rs are dominated IN
i,1riorsIv hv trusts While assuring normal pro
lection 70 allied industries. To portions OF lhe
ono industry NOT SO dominated. needs only TO
no stated TO be apparent TO every intelligence
Rut So much dust has been raised To obscure
the purnoses of certain trust hunters whose
real design is 10 discredt and destroy protec-
fion as protection. that the President IS To ne
entirely commended for impresslnC on his
Cincinnati audience the folly of any hasty con-
fusion Of the problem of trust regulation with
the nrohlem of determining whether. in what
particulars and to what extent such changed
conditions in commerce or industry rs nave
arisen In the last eight years may require re-
vision of the Dingley tariff schedules
Nothing hut harm can come from such con
fusion: and the President is wise in saying
am not now considering whether or not, on
grounds totally uncOnneCted with the trusts II
would he we'll 10 lower the duties various
schedules either by direct legislation or by
legislation or treaties designed to secure as an
effect reciprocal advantages from the nations
with which we trade. Ny point Is that changes
IN the tariff would have little appreciate effect
on the trusts save as they shared in the general
harm or good proceeding from such changes. NO
tariff change would help one OF our smaller COT
nora tions or one of our private individuals in
business still less one of our wage workers. as
against a large corporation in the same bust
ness: on the contrary, If 1t bore heavily on tne
large CORPORATION II would inevitah bly, be felt sun
more hv that corporations weaker rivals. WINE
any Injurious result would Of necessity he shared
b,, both the employer and employed in the busi-
ness concerned
The problems Of trust regulation and of tariff
revision have no vital or necessary relation
Each should he settled or its own merits 10
involve the two in one complicated leglslatiFe
experiment would only operate 10 delay that
rational and practical treatment through which
alone each problem will ultimately be solved