Courier Democrat., 1904-05-05
Mr.. ALDRlcH REFuTED

Claim That the Tariff Doesn't
Create Trusts Knocked Out.
WHAT Is THE TARIFF REALLY FOR
savoynrd Proves That the Steel Trust
Is u Tariff Protected Monopoly-A
Party OF Words, but Not Deeds.
How the Attorney General Discrim-
mates.
Senator .Aldrich i'll speech at Provi-
dence, r. l., on March % said:
I'VE believe that these duties levied
do not encourage or create monopolies
or trusts or combinations. which are an
incident of our Industrial development
and in nowise affected by the imposi-
ton of tariff duties.''
Commenting upon this foolish and
absurd statement of Senator Aldrich,
Savoyard says in the Washington Post
Of March 26:
"What is the tariff for if it be not to
curtail or destroy competition? Can
trust exist as long as there is competi-
ton? What is trust but the absence
OF competition? believe that rea-
sonable tariff on trust made goods or
free trade in them would do more to
benefcently compose the trust issue
than all the demagogues in the Union
will ever do or all the Sherman laws
you could write on scroll as vast as
the sky.
Here is the steel trust, that will sell
the Canadian Pacific railroad, foreign
corporation, steel rails cheaper than it
will sell them to the Northern Pacific
railroad, domestic corporation. That
may be expansion of foreign trade, but
It is restraint of domestic trade. If
there ever was an occasion for an at
torney general to run amuck, here it is,
but it seems that the present attorney
general reserves his muck running for
benefcent trusts that expand trade and
cheaper rates and has nothing but EN-
couragement for vicious trusts that
sell to American consumers at monop-
oily prices and foreign consumers at
competition prices. For example, a
railroad corporation in the state Of
Washington wanted some steel rails
Instead of ordering them directly from
the trusts it ran amuck and got firm
In Vancouver to order them and there
by saved lot of money. All this hap
pened under the eyes of the attorney
general and Senator Aldrich. Free
trade in iron and steel would not de-
stroy the steel trust, and indeed it is
not desirable to destroy it, but it would
change the nature of the thing. and
after the surplus water had been
squeezed out of it's stock it would make
respectable and beneicent trust of
it,
Republicans oppose the removal Of
duties on coal, hides. wool, pulp, etc.
No one who understands the relation
Of the Republican party to trusts, the
business connections through campaign
funds and tariff duties. will for mo-
ment suppose that the Republicans in
congress intend to do anything to harm
the trusts. The Republican congress
men owe their political existence to the
trusts, and they lose no opportunity to
show their gratefulness. although they
often indulge in harmless talk against
the trusts. In theory the Republicans
are most bitterly opposed to the trust
cormorants: in practice they never vote
for any measure that will curtail trust
profits. AS President Roosevelt has
told us, "Words are good when backed
by deeds, and only So" Republican
words as to trusts are not backed by
deeds. This fact was demonstrated
most conspicuously on March % when,
by a party vote, the house committee
on ways and means voted down mo-
lions made by the Democratic leader,
John Sharp Williams, and by Champ
Clark of Missouri to favorably report
bills placing salt, coal, twine, hides.
wool, pulp, agricultural implements
and other articles on the free list The
Democrats all voted in favor Of taking
action to put these trust made goods OH
the free list and thus to take the quick
est and most certain way Of curtailing
the excessive profits of the trusts The
Republicans all voted to "stand pat'
on their trust protecting tariff measure.
1t should be easy for the voters to de-
eide this year between the party that
backs its words with its deeds and the
party that talks one way and votes the
other.