The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-10-02


country, and l should like to know at
what price he would sell me steel rails
delivered at tide water for shipment
to Honduras. He promptly quoted me
500 per ton"
Allowing a liberal amount for cost
OF delivery at tide water which in this
particular case would have been very
small, we American citizens paid to
this American industry 1913. 900 in excess
of what foreigners would have been
compelled to pay. And $4,000 would
have put up a very handsome library
filled with standard books on protec-
ton.
And this was a very small trans
action-only fifty miles of railroad.
Payments were cash. and we neither
needed nor asked any concessions in
the matter of time. Because we were
Americans, interested in the develop
ment of a small section of our coun-
try. involving faith and sacrifices, we
were compelled to pay out as bonus,
in excess of $500 per mile.
other "PrOtected" Products.
This state of affairs exists also with
regard to steel nails, barbed wire, ag-
ricultural implements, structural steel
for bridges and houses, boots and
shoes, sewing machines, monographs,
and a great many other things too
numerous " IItHllOH DIT lIlS time. III
all of these things the American pro-
Queer is meeting the worlds prices III
the worlds markets, and extortng
from the American consumer in the
American market. Thus it is that some
of our manufacturers are protected
from foreign competition in the Amer
lean market by the tariff, and from
domestic competition with one another
by the unhindered formation of trusts.
All of which is in logical pursuance
of the Republican policy of enriching
special interests at the cost of con-
sumers and other producers. The
means used in each case is the sumo
strangling competition. Does 1t result
in prosperity for anybody? Yes in
deed it does. For whom? For the few
who profit by the abuse. For whom
most, comparatively speaking? VINO
gets the largest measure of prosperity
under this system? Is it not he who
can get the schedule of the law fixed
most nearly to suit his purpose? Who
can do that? l answer, the man or
the corporation with the strongest
and best paid lobby at Washington.
Profit in Corruption.
I'm a word, the man or corporation
or combination of corporations which
is the greatest and most successful
cOrruptionist. 1t boots little whether
the seat of government at the time of
the enactment of the law or whether it
takes place indirectly, beforehand, as
II generally does, by contributions to
campaign funds, to be returned later
by friends of the system, who stand
pat on present legislation. What sort
of prosperity do YOU want? Prosper
ity that comes to honest men, as
result of thrift, energy, foresight fru-
gality sobriety, improved business
methods, new inventions, and the nat
ural resources of a great country? Or
the prosperity wrich is law-bought
and accrues to cOrrupting influences
organized upon a scale of magnitude
hitherto unprecedented in the world
and to be accounted for only by the
magnitude of the profit to be reaped?
Remedy With the Government.
What can the federal government
do? What is the extent of it's jurisdic-
ton? l answer, first, it can remove SO
much of the tariff shelter as enables
American corporations by combination
to get from the American people more
than reasonable profit. To show that
this Is a palpable remedy when the
great anthracite coal strike was on,
and the cries for relief from the vic
Tins in the large cities was insistent
and insurgent, and Congress wanted
to deprive the anthracite coal COM
bination, so far as legislation went. of
It's power of extortion, it placed an
thracite coal permanently upon the
free list, and all other Goals on the
free list for one year. Remember, it
was Republican House and a Repub-
hcan Senate which did this. Remem-
Der, in addition. that it stopped extor-
ton to a marked degree. | answer.
second, that the United States gov
eminent has the same power, with re-
gard TO trusts engaged in interstate
commerce. as the several states have
with regard to those doing business
entirely within the state
What the Government Can DO.
THE federal government can If II
choose, forbid corporations doing an
interstate business from owning above
a liked percentage of the stock of their
corporations. 1t could if il chose. for
Did purely holding companies, like the
shipping trust swindle, from entering
interstate commerce at all. 1t could
II 1t chose. pass a statute for inter-
state commerve, like that which Mas
sachusetts has passed for commerce
within that commonwealth, penalizinR
contracts made by trusts with pur-
chasers of their product binding the
purchaser not to buy from nor to sell
TO other corporations, persons or
firms. There is nothing which Texas
has done within it's boundaries which
the federal government can not do, so
far as corporations engaged in inter-
state commerce are concerned. Wheth-
er 1t would be wise, to do these things.
is another question, but that there is
power to do them, and no need for an
amendment to the constitution i'm order
TO do them, there can be no question.
Enforce the Law.
But the main thing to be done is
manifest to all honest men, to faithful
federal officials. 1t is to go ahead and
enforce present law, which is by no
means impotent. and not to be prating
about not running amuck, nor be
placing the head of the Department of
Commerce and Labor at the head of a
national partisan, political machine.
where he can put himself and his party
most conveniently under obligations TO
the trusts-where possessing informa-
ton, which amounts to Carrying a big
stick. he is yet receptive of contribu-
tions, which amounts to Speaking
softly.
Misery Follows Trusts.
Through trusts hard times come.
wages are reduced: hard times disap-
pear prosperity returns; labor wants
back its rightful share of II: demands
II; is refused; strikes With what hone
of success, even though the dap,ari3 a.