Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-02-12
REDUCTION AS A REMEDY.
Looping on the Tariff a Certain
Means of Relief from Trust
Oppression.

In President Roosevelt's message
there was a remark to the effect that
the tariff is no remedy for the oppres-
sion of the trusts. And yet when pub
lie protest against the eXtortion of the
coal trust becomes too forcible to be
ignored longer, what is the first thing
congress does? Suspends both the an
thracite and soft coal duties for one
year-that is the effect of the rebate
plan.
When, in the early part of last sum
ner, the beef trust began forcing its
prices upward, placing a fictitious
value on its product and robbing con-
sumers right and left for the benefit Cd
the few, what was the first remedy
suggested? The removal of the tariff
on meat. And the threat of such ac-
tion being forced by popular protest
did more than anything else to bring
the packers to their senses says the
Utica Observer.
If tariff reduction is not a remedy
at least in part-for trust oppression,
tariff reduction would not be the
means of curbing the eXtortions now
practiced by so many of these big
combinations, why is it that every sug-
gestion Of tariff reduction raises a howl
of protest from the protected INDUS
tries and sends their Representative in
congress into a panic of fear? Regula-
ton, restriction, a curb on ~high-handed
cXtortion are what the trusts partic-
ularly dread. If removal or reduction
of the tariff or trust-produced articles
does not have this effect, why are the
trusts so agitated every time such a
proceeding is suggested?
Congress started in on the present
session with the evident intention OF
following Senator Hanna's suggestion
to "stand pat" on the tariff question.
The declaration that tariff reduction
would bring no relief from oppression
was a bluff" which the suffering OF
the people in the coal famine has
called" The hollowness of the whole
attitude of congress has been exposed
The permanent character of the bar.
gain between the protectionists II
congress and the capitalists who have
so effectively organized for the re
~tention of the present scale of tariffs
could not have been nor perfectly
revealed than it has been in the dis
cussion Of the coal situation. Through
out the whole controversy there has
not been heard from the projections
side of the house a single expression OF
genuine sympathy with the victims Of
tariff oppression or of honestintentior
to reconstruct the tariff on a more
equitable basis. The only purpose dis
coverable in the reluctant consent o.
the majority to make this slight con
c~ession to the millions of American
consumers was to give them something
to keep them quiet for the time, ant
to make that something as little as
possible. All of the protectionist tall
in open session, in committee and il
the lobby was to the effect that thes'
tritling remissions of duties would, fol
the present, relieve the tariff system
from attack, and would permit thu
other outrages of the system to remain
without modification. In fact, thi
anxiety to protect the rest of the sys
tenn against successful assault appears
to have been more potent in hastenin!
action upon the coal tariff than desir,
to do justice to the sufferers from tn
famine of fuel.
1t was a case of losing a little t.
save much. But it was enough to dem
onstrate the principle that tariff reduc
ion is a means of relief from trust OPP
preston.