Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-02-01

the Trusts and PrODOse Still Higher
Duties - Corporations and Monopo-
lies VIII Grow Fat.
Other nations besides the United
States car stand pat, but in the end
there must come q showdown, and
some n will win and others lose. In
playing the tariff game of freeZc-out be-
tween nations the people Of all coun-
tries suffer and the combines and
corporations grow fat. That is the
case in the United States and Germany
today, for both countries are standing
pat with poor hands. Even the even
tuai winner at this tariff game, which
the Republican leaders here and the
land monopolists i'll Germany are play
ing with the stakes that the people of
in the end
In the United States we boast Of our
large exports, which are mostly agri-
cultural products and raw materials,
and which must be sold to those u
tries that will buy them, and the price
for the surplus we have to sell after
supplying our own people is fixed in
the foreign markets, where other coun
tries which have q surplus Of similar
products are also seeking buyers. Ger
many, France and other protection
countries that do not raise enough
wheat, beef, pork and other products
set the price they will pay according
to the amount that is offered for sale.
The price they offer for the surplus
fixes the price also in the countries
that sell. If a tariff tax is imposed N
any or all of these agricultural prod
ucts, that and the freight and expenses
and profits must be added, and the
consumers in Germany and elsewhere
pay the total cost.
If our people want to buy German or
French products the tariff tax that the
United States imposes is added to the
price these foreign countries charge,
and the cost is increased from 80 to 100
per cent, the average being about 81 per
cent, besides the freight and profits.
But that is not the worst Of it by any
means, for the trusts and combines,
knowing that foreign goods cannot be
sold here except with the tariff tax
added, put up the price of their prod
ucts in proportion and thus virtually
collect the tariff tax on nearly all our
people buy. The trusts get the tax, and
nothing goes to the government. That
is why the cost of living has increased
here sc greatly since the Republican
tariff law was enacted in 1897 and why
the trusts and combines have been so
fostered and have so prospered.
In Germany a similar condition TX
lists, and the price of the necessities Of
life has SO vastly increased that great
distress prevails.
On March / the German tariff will be
so increased that her markets will be
absolutely closed to most of our agri-
cultural products.
Meanwhile the trust controlled states
men of both countries are standing pat
and declaring they will make no con-
cessions. The protection majority in
congress are even declaring for retalia-
ton upon the Germans by increasing
our tariff rates 25 per cen on German
products.
Thus is protection gone mad in both
countries, and the people are paying
%exorbitant prices to protect the trusts
and combines. When the election Of
senators and congressman takes place
next fall, will the voters re-elect these
stand patters or turn to the Democrats,
who are pledged to tariff revision that
will eliminate trust protection?