Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-09-12
Continued from Page Three.)
ROOsevelt's Acceptance.

" MtsN3 'Atfh -
Of the tariff We are at once confront
cd by the doubt ms to whether our op
pOnents do or do not mean what they
say. They say that protection Is
robbery and promise 10 carry them.
selves accordingly II they are given
power Yet prominent persons among
them assert that they do not really
mean this and that II they come into
power they will adopt our policy as
regards the tariff; while others seem
anxious 70 prove that Il Is safe 10
give them partial power, because the
power would be only partial, and
therefore they would not be able TO
do mischief The last Ii certainly d
curious plea 10 advance on behalf Of
q party seeking 70 obtain control Of
the government.
Az tho outset II III worthy while %
say q word MS 10 The attempt 20 iden.
tify The question Of tariff revision or
tariff reduction with d solution III the
trust question. This is always q sign
Of desire 10 avoid any real effort 10
deal adequately with the trust aues.
tlon In speaking 81 this point at
Minneapolis, on April I. 1908, | said:
THE question Ut tariff revision,
speaking broadly, stands wholly apart
from the question OF dealing with the
trusts No change hi thrift duties
can have amy substantial effect In
solving the soealtad trust problem.
Certain great trusts ~ great corpora
lions ara wholly unaffected by the
tariff. Almost NIL the othrfs that ARE
of my Importance have aa d matter OF
fact numbers Of smaller American
competitors; and OF course d change
In the tariff which would work injury
10 The large corporations would work
not merely injury but destruction 10
its smaller competitors and equally
OF course such a change would mean
disaster 10 all the workers cor
neetcd with either 'iia large or the
small corporations From the stand.
point Of those interested In the aola.
tion or The trust problem such a
change would therefore merely megm
that The trust was relieved OF the
competition of fts weaker American
competitors, and thrown only into
competition with foreign competitors;
and that the first effort 10 meet this
new competition would he made by
cutting down wages, and would there,
for0 be primarily OF The cnat u labor,
In the case nf some uf our greatest
trusts such n change might confer UP.
on them q positive benefit, Speaking
broadly. II III evident that the changes
In the tariff Will affect thee trusts for
weai or for woe Simply ~ they nffeet
the whole country. The tariff affects
trusts only ne tt affects all other in.
torcsts. II makes I'LL those interests.
large or small, rroftuhlof and ita
benefits can he taken from tho lRrss
only under penalty OF taking them
from the small alao"
There H. little for mo to add 10 this
It II but ten ycars since ire last nj
/ tempt was made, ly mnRhs OF lower
lang the tariff. 10 prevent some peo
pie from prospering too much. The III
tempt was entirely successful. Tbs
! tariff law of that year was among the
causes which In that year ana fot
some time afterwards nffeetually pre-
vented anybody from prospecting tbc
much, and labor from ptaspering ~
MI, Undoubtedly II would No possible
a. the present time b prevent any
of The trusts from remaining prosper
Gus by the simple eNpeateut mi max,
tnE such q sweeping ehaaEe In the
tariff aa 10 paraiyze the industrira ~
the country The trusts would cease
70 prosper hut their smaller enmueti'
tors would he ruined, and tho ware.
worker would staryr. while u would
not my the farmer 20 ham his pro
dnce 10 market The evils connected
with the trusts can he reached only
by rational effort, step b. step, along
the lines taken ny congress- and The
executive during tho past three years,
II q tariff Law H. passed under which
the country prospors. d the country
has prnspered under the present tariff
Law then alrclasses will share In inc