Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1903-06-11
RIGHT KIND OF TALK
WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID TO THE
"IoWA IDEA" PEOPLE.
His Antireyision Sentiments at Min
neapolis In Marked Contrast With
the Tariff Tinkering Ratiocina-
lions of the "Progressive" Flock.

lions of the progressive" Flock.
The Des Moines Capital aptly dis
covers a coincidence in the fact that
President Roosevelt made his strong
orthodox tariff speech of April In
Minneapolis just one year following
the Minneapolis speech Of Governor
Cummins. In that speech the govern
or said:
Competition we must have-that OF
the republic if possible, that of the
world if necessary"
In another and later address the gov
ernor said;
whenever the creators Of combina-
ton are able to stife competition and
eliminate it as an element OF the trade
in our own country then we propose to
invite competition from abroad"
Exactly in line with this proposition
Senator Vest of Missouri, an uncom-
promising free trader, said on Dec. 20,
1902:
ut seems very queer that monopolles
in commercial staples are possible in
the United States only because compe-
tition is not open to the world, and the
protective tariff is convicted Of respon-
sibility."
1t thus appears that Cummins and
Vest are of one mind in holding that
the protective tariff is responsible for
the sitting of competition and that the
opening of our market to the competi-
ton of the world is the only remedy.
Taking issue alike with Cummins and
with Vest, President Roosevelt said at
Minneapolis:
Zone point we must steadily keep in
mind. The question Of tariff revision,
speaking broadly stands wholly apart
from the question of dealing with the
trusts. No change in tariff duties can
have any substantial effect in solving
the so called trust problem. Certain
great trusts or great corporations are
wholly unaffected by the tariff. Prac-
tically all the others that are of any
Importance have, as matter OF fact,
numbers Of smaller American Compel
itors, and of course q change in the
tariff which would work injury to the
large corporation would work not
merely injury, but destruction, to its
smaller competitors, and, equally, OF
course, such change would mean dis
aster to all the wage workers connect
ed with either the large or the small
corporations. From the standpoint OF
those interested in the solution or the
trust problem such change would
therefore merely mean that the trust
was relieved Of the competition OF Its
weaker American competitors and
thrown only into competition with for
eign competitors and that the nrs'
effort to meet this new competition
would be made cutting down wages
and would therefore be primarily al
the cost of labor. In the case Of some
of our greatest trusts such change
might confer upon them a positive
benefit. Speaking broadly, it is evident
that the changes in the tariff will at
feet the trusts for veal or for woe sim
ply as they affect the whole country
The tariff affects trusts only as it al
fects all other interests. 1t makes al
these interests, large and small, profit
able. and it's benefits can be taken
from the large only under penalty OF
taking them from the small also"
The application Of these sound state;
ments could not have been more direct
and intentional if the president had
prefaced his remarks by saying: "StanC
up, Governor Cummins, and listen. an
talking to you and your like, whether
in Iowa, in Minnesota, in Massachu
sets or wherever they may be" II
was the right sort of talk in the right
place and at the right time. The coun
try has relished and welcomed it fol
what it was and was meant to be-
American Economist.