The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1904-06-16
Trusts AIl.POwerful.

the Republican leaders and those yot-
ers who want tariff revision are read
| out of the party. High trust prices
and wage reduction prove protection
does not insure prosperity.
The Iowa idea" has been ever
thrown in the state of its birth, as
far as the Republican leaders can do
so. AT the state convention to elect
delegates to the national convention
the platform adopted was of the stand
pat order, though there was a con-
siderable objecting minority. The
same tactics were employed as in the
Republican state convention of Massa-
chusetts, where Senator Lodge told
those delegates who were demanding
reciprocity with Canada that their
place was in the Democratic party. If
the proportion of delegates in either
of these conventions that favored tar
iff legislation are backed up by the
same per cent of voters, there are
more than enough to turn these strong
Republican states over to the Demo
Gratis, if they elect to do so.
The business men of Massachusetts,
to the number Of 10000 are on record
against the present tariff; some want
reciprocity-the real thing-that will
reduce the tariff wall between us and
other countries and allow us to trade
with them and in return trade with
us. Others want free hides and free
wool, and nearly all of them demand,
like the Iowa farmers, that the tariff
protection that allows the trusts to
sell their products for enormous profits
here and at much lower price in
other countries should be revised, so
as to equalize the price here and there.
The Democrats will welcome the aid
of both the Iowa and Massachusetts
Republicans who believe that the time
has arrived to seriously take up tariff
revision, for it is evident that the too
much boasted advantages of the pro-
tective tariff are failing Of their pur
pose-prosperity and high wages.
Prosperity since 1902 has been abb
sent from many industries and wages
have been gradually decreasing. Nor
is that the worst of it, the cost of
living still remains abnOrmally high,
so that the purchasing power of earn
ings is decreased accordingly. The
Democrats claim that revising the tar
iff, so that those articles for which
the trusts now demand too high price
shall be admitted free of duty, or at
a decreased rate, would reduce prices
by fear Of competition from similar
articles imported from abroad. The
protectionists declare that if the tariff
is reduced foreign products would be
imported and mills and workshops
would close and labor be idle. The
trusts are now competing in many
foreign markets against these foreign
products that the prOtectiOnists fear,
and are evidently underselling the for
eigners, or the trusts would not eX-
port their products there. To reduce
or abolish the tariff on these trust
products would not therefore allow the
foreign products to be imported here,
for the freight and charges alone
WOulu Dt d DdlIlCI. vi NOul SC thC
trusts under ten per cent tariff would I
have to reduce their prices 80 or 40
per cent to meet these new conditions
and the consumer here would gain that
much.
There may be some industries here
which would need greater protection
for time and the tariff on articles of
luxury would still be continued and
perhaps increased. For instance, the
tariff rate on diamonds is now 10 per
cent; there is no reason why it should
not be 90 per cent. The tariff rate on
refined sugar is about 30 per cent;
there is no good reason why it should
not be reduced to 10 peg cent, except
that the enormous profits Of the sugar
trust would be decreased. Would that
ruin the country or reduce wages?
The platforms Of the Republican
state conventions adopted this year
show that the trusts and corporations
have more influence with the leaders
than the voters Of that party have, for
in every state, except Idaho, the plat
forms declare for protection and for
what has come to be known as stand
pat. The Republican national conven-
ton will make like declaration
Therefore those Republican voters who
believe that the tariff shelters trusts
will for their own salvation aid in the
election of the Democratic ticket