The Saint Paul globe., 1904-12-30
A CONFESSION OF GUILT

CNOl W1AClC NY H0PdpOl0 Ol oil
shades of political opinion upon the
suit instituted by the government
against the paper trust the most over
whelming indictment ever drawn
against party in power. There is not
one word of dissent anywhere Every
body approves the movement to dis
solve the Illegal and oppressive COM
bination which has for years been rob-
bing the users of print and other pa
per whose manufacture it controls. All
are agreed that it must be put out of
business. . All are equally agreed, and
most are bold enough to say it, that
the trust might be crushed by the
short process of repeating the tariff on
wood pulp, instead of by the long proc
ess of a federal suit, if congress had
SO chosen.
Now the government takes credit to
itself for this onslaught upon the pa
per trust, although it did not move In
the matter until the American News
paper Publishers association, the Off
ciaI representative OF all the newspa-
pers of the United States, took formal
action and laid its grievances before
the attorney general with demand
for relief. 1t is not our purpose to sub
tract from any credit justly due to the
Republican party or any of its officials
on this question. Let them have the
benefit of any capital there Is in 1t.
What we do insist upon is that the
public shall not forget that this trust
could never have been formed, and
could not exist for moment today
were it not for the Infamous duty
upon print paper, and upon the wood
pulp that forms the principal element
| in it's manufacture. This duty exists
for nobody's benefit except the trust
promoters. Every consumer is taxed
| by it to the extent of about so per
cent on prices formerly paid. Nobody
| gets a penny of benefit from it except
the people who have entered into this
| trust and are, upon the authority of
! the federal department of Justice fla
grant violators of the law
! Why, then, was this duty imposed? :?
] Why does it remain untouched and in
tact today? The president in his mes
| Sa pa radaoted 11pon tho +Y1,St o,Jactio,,
| and he and his supporters assert that
monopolies are to be prosecuted to the
| extent of the law. Why was he and
| why are they silent upon the tariff, the
maker and supporter of trusts? We
| have Republican authority all over the
| United States for saying that this is
true of the duties by which the paper
trust profits. It is true of the duties by
which the steel trust profits. 1t is true
| Of every duty on every commodity
| whose manufacture is controlled in
whole or in part by any trust within
the boundaries Of the United States
! today. With one hand we build up
| these illegal and oppressive combina
| tions, while with the other we con-
struct machinery for their destruction.
Is this sensible? Is it plain honesty :?
| What would be thought of a physician
who should administer each morning
| a dose of xirulent poison to his patient,
leaving a certain antidote to be given
| just before death claimed the victim,
| efficacious only so far as to leave him
still breathing and ready to endure an
other agony on the following day? That
is the equivalent of the policy of the
federal government and the adminis-
| tration toward the trusts. At the real
| crime they will not strike. The real
remedy they will not apply. The tariff,
| out of which all trusts have grown and
behind which they find shelter, is sa-
cred from Republican interference or
modification.
On the plain showing of facts when
| the paper trust is declared guilty, as it
will be by the courts, the Republican
party and the national administration
should be in the box beside it and
| branded doubly guilty; because they
] maintain intact the criminal tariff sys-
tenn that is the effective bulwark be-
hind which innumerable trusts find
shelter and direct their edicts of rob-
berry and oppression against helpless
people.