The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-16
THE IOWA IDEA AGAIN.

mating one in the prevailing congress
sional election. The popular demand
for relief from the operations of the
trust grows more and more insistent
each day. So, too, the conviction grows
more settled among the people that the
first and most essential step to take
toward curbing trust control Is to re-
duce or remove the existing tariffs
where they are seen to operate to pro-
tect monopolies.
There has been sort of weak at
tempt made by certain administration
advocates to show that the removal Of
the tariff on trustmade goods would
operate to hurt, not the trusts, but the
competitors Of the trusts. Secretary
Shaw has made a statement of that
kind, without adducing a single fact in
proof Of it's correctness. Gov. Cum
minis, of the same state, however, has
refused to resort to such paltering with
the truth, and has, as he declared he
would do, removed the 'if' from the
tariff-trust plank of the Iowa Re-
publican platform, thus declaring his
conviction that the existing tariff does
shelter monopoly.
Now, comes forward that veteran Re-
publican economic trimmer, Senator
Allison, and tries to emasculate the
Iowa idea. He spoke down in Mason
City few days ago, and taking up the
Iowa idea, he spoke as follows:
ST might give many illustrations of how
insignificant the part the tariff plays as
respects great combinations Of capital,
and how puerile is the remedy proposed
for the destruction of all trusts by plac-
ing trust-made articles on the free list 1
think it may be said truthfully that more
of the trusts would be benefited by the
removal of the tariff than would be in
jured and when injured to endure the
injury more easily than their competitors,
who would be practically destroyed.
This is Secretary Shaw over again.
Senator Allison tells his hearers that
he might do certain things, but he
doesn't do them, any more than does
Secretary Shaw. He does not even at
tempt to do them. They represent i'm
possible tasks, and that is why this
shrewd old political juggler does not
try his hand.
According to Senator Allison three
things are so true that it is necessary
only to state them in order to establish
their truth. They are: (1.) The part
which the tariff plays as respects great
combinations of capital is insignificant.
Cd The remedy proposed for the de-
structfon of trusts-Allison says, cum
eli c&e,B Nv Ion
ing trust-made articles on the free list,
is puerile. a. More trusts would be
benefited by the removal Of the tariff
than would be injured. 60 The COM
| petitors Of the trusts, rather than the
| trusts, would as result be practically
destroyed and driven out of business
by putting the trust-made articles on
! the free list.
This is the triumph Of the Repub
| lican policy Of evasion and apology as
applied to trusts and tariff alike. 1t is
not necessary to argue against the de-
| auctions of Senator Allison. He does
not believe in them, and he does not be-
lieve that anybody else believes in them
who has a mind and is willing to exer,
else it. The object Is to protect the
trust against Interference in any di-
rection. Republican reasons are plenty
why every plan suggested would
prove worthless to control monopolies.
| Yet there is no denial that the monop-
olies exist, and that absolutely nothing
| is being done to control them.
The Republican position, as defined
by Senator Allison, u.s.. in word, that
nothing should be done. The trusts
and the tariff alike should be left to be
| dealt with by their friends.