Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-01
SHAW ON THE TRUSTS
SECRETARY OF TREASURY CRITI-
CIsEs DEMoCRACY's DEMANDS.
Reviews the Policies Of the Two Parties
and Praises Republican
Principles.

principal speaker at the annual banquet
last night of the Kickapoo Club of Peoria,
ILL., His subject was THE Republican
Party" He said in part: The democratic
demand for q revision of the tariff as a
remedy for monopolies Is not new inven-
ton nor recent discovery. Bills, amend
ments to bills and resolutions embodying
this thought have been offered without
number, certainly by the score, by DEM
ocrats standing high and democrats stand
ing low in the councils OF that party. The
remedy, however, is on par with many
others. The all-important question whether
given industry is controlled by a monop-
oily must needs be established before the
proposed remedy can be applied.
1.-THE present prohibitory law against
trusts has generally been found adequate
whenever the evidence attainable has been
found sufficient to establish the ultimate
fact. Recent legislation does not provide
new remedies so much as new methods of
discovering and establishing facts and ex-
pediting judicial investigation. The Sher-
man law contains quite drastic provisions
applicable both to persons and corpora tons
when once proven to have combined or to
have conspired for the purpose of monop-
OlfZtng business or trade privilege
Il would like to have our democratic
friends who are advocating this remedy
explain why they would remove protection
produced goods. Shall the protection be
removed until the alleged monopoly goes
into bankruptcy and then be restored, or
shall 1t be removed permanently and our
industries, one by one, turned over to for
efgn competitors? And If the removal of
protection is to be temporary, who is to
say when it shall be restored?
If, in point Of fact, the iron, the steel,
the glass, the paper or any other industry
has been monopoliZed, as is claimed, and IL
the producers are now robbing the Amer
lean people by extortionate prices, and if
no one dare build factories in competition
with these octopi, will American courage
be extended by the removal of the tariff
so as to invite these products from abroad?
1t seems to be, but may be wrong that
American enterprise would be quite as like
ly to build a factory and compete in the
american market under protection as I'M
der free trade. In point of fact, / happen
70 know Independent steel plants, glass
factories and paper mills, not simply pro-
9ected. put actually in process of construc-
tion but believe no one of them would he
completed II 1t were known their products
were to be placed on the free list.
domestic competition is sure to arise In
tlme, but we become impatient. After the
enactment, of the Dingley bill our demo-
cratic friends tried to make sport of us
because the effects were not noticeable in
stanter. 1t took s6me time to adjust con-
oluons to the new law, and it will take
Tune to counteract attempts that are some
times made to thwart the natural opera
tons OF the law. But the fact remains
that there is no industry, no class of men,
no interest that is not more prosperous,
more thriving, more hopeful and more sure
OF success than ever before in the history
Of our country
This remedy seems to me addressed TO
those who are supposed to be short-sfghted,
rather than those who are able to see the
end from the beginning. For whatever
retires monopolistic corporation from the
held and invites foreign competition to
supply Its. place not only renders capital
non-productive, but what is vastly worse,
1t turns all lahorers employed in the street
and their families begging bread A wise
measure OF control Is preferable to any
measure of destruction
combined capital is not an unmixed
evil. but like every other possible good is
capable Of evil. Individual wealth has sell
dom built railroad, or erected a factory,
or opened mine, or constructed a steam
ship. We have reached a point in our
civilization where the things we undertake
require associated capital 1t Is therefore
the province of the statesman to so legis-
iate as TO encourage associated capital, and
that frequently ensue
IL requires no skill to kill a vicious colt.
Out II does require skill and patience ana
wisdom to get magnificent service out of a
strong animal possessed of many evil pro.
pensities. 1t is vastly wiser to put kicking
Straps on your horses than to hamstring
them"
SnarIes Emory Smith spoke to the toast,
our Republic-the Worlds Peacemaker."
He said in part:
Inc United States is the worlds peace
maker through its moral force. The in
nuence or that moral force reaches even
Where us physical arm does not extend.
Our voice was for magnanimity and gen
crosby In China. 1t is for the example of
freedom and the largest measure of self
rule IN the Philippines. 1t is for equal
commercial opportunity in the great new
market or the east. Everywhere we are
humanity We are the advocates and
champion OF arbitration in the adjustment
OF lnterna tional complications. We are the
pest friend of The Hague tribunal.
we have done more than any other
nation since its creation to give it respect
ana authority and recognized jurisdiction.
our national influence has grown meal
culanly through the events of the last five
years, and the whole world knows that
wherever that influence is exerted it is on
the side of right and justice and reason.
Inc moral effect of a great and powerful
republic. with unbounded resources, stand
ing In an impregnable position on a CONT
nent by itself. and speaking always for
peace with right, is force whose potency
cannot be measured Surely, as we review
these developme nts it Is not too much to
repeat that the United States is the vOrld's