The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1902-08-22
THE TARIFF AND TRUSTS.

lie HIN4IL HNA x<NCSL
The creation of the biggest trusts
in this country can be counted back
to 1890 when the Mckinley bill was
enacted. 1t is true that the Demo-
Gratis passed some legislation on this
subject when they were in power, but
the good effects of this were soon
wiped out by the re-enaction of the
same bill under the name ofthe Ding
ley bill, which with slight modifca-
tions, is on our statute books today.
The object of this protective tariff
was said to be for the protection of
American labor, but in point of fact
it has enabled manufacturers to fix
prices upon the product of their
factories without competition from
the outside world. The late John
Sherman, who seemed to possess more
foresight than many of his associates,
saw that it was only a question OF
time before the moneyed interests of
the country would combine and the
people would be at the mercy of the
combination. He knew that there
would be abuses of the protective
principle, and that it would be the
making of inordinately rich manu-
facturers at the expense of the Ameri-
can people. With this object in view
the late Senator introduced the Sher-
man antitrust law. 1t is hard to
solve his motives, but this much we
do know that it has been on our
statute books simply for the purpose
of deceiving the people into the fact
that the Republican party was op-
posed to trusts and monopolies. This
law stands as an ornament on our
statute books more honored in its
breach than in it's observance. 1t is
a Republican antitrust cannon that
has been spiked and put out of COM
mission by rich contributions from
the very interest that it was aimed
at, to the campaign Golfers of the
Republican party. Its utter useless
ness has been conceded by the Repub-
licans themselves and they are at
this time advocating more stringent
legislation for the purpose ofcontroll-
ing the trusts.
The campaign this fall will be for
the repeal of the present tariff law
and the enactment of antitrust leg
islation. Republicans themselves re-
alize this andfrom the President down
to the curbstone orator, they are in
sisting that the trusts must be curbed.
Their cry, however, is more like she'd
ing crocodile tears, for it is impossi-
BILE to see why with a Republican
President who has such outspoken
views as President Roosevelt, Re-
publican Senate overwhelming in it's
numbers and a Republican House
with a majority so large that it can
scarcely control itself, yet nothing
has been done.
Although this state of affairs has
existed for a number of years, we
have not not even heard the question
mentioned until the present time,
which is on the eve ofelecting Con-
gress, which threatens to be more
Democratic in numbers than has been
since 1892. In the meantime they
will be kept busy explaining, yet
they have not even attempted to en-
force the Sherman act, although it
may be lame in many of its particu-
lars. 1t would also be we'll for them
to show why it was that the At
torney General of the United States
was appointed from the ranks of the
trust lawyers and that their largest
campaign contributions came from
the Golfers of the richest combina-
lions ofcapital.
This is a matter that is now re-
ceiving the earnest consideration of
the voter, and doubtless the election
of November will show the Republic
cans that at last the people have
awakened to the fact that their legis-
lators have not been administering
the affairs of State in their in
terest, but rather in the aid Of the
perpetuation of those who are the
most liberal contributors to the
National campaign fund.
OUR COUNTY ROADS.
The acceptance Of a section of the
Churchville road by the Woolsey
Commission and the County Com
missioners stirs up the talk in regard
to improving other highways in our
county. Every person who is inter-
ested in the question of good roads
should inspect the present improve
ments and see if they do not think
that it is money we'll spent. Should
it meet with the approval ofour Peo-
ole we thank that the Commissioners
would be perfectly justified in ex-