Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1906-03-15
BURDEN OF THE TRUSTS
Add Forty Per Cent to the Cost
of Living.
THE PEOPLE PAY THE TARIFF TAX

h Republican Idol, Plum
ders the American People - Collu-
sion Between Corporations and the
Republican Politicians to Divide
the LeRalfzed Plumber,
The tariff and trust problems are in
separately connected because the pro-
lection given the trusts by the high
tariff rates prevents the only compe-
tition that can possibly stop the legal
lied %plundering Of those corporations.
If the tariff tax vas reduced 10 a rev.
enue basis and the protective element
omitted, there would be either Il great
reduction Of the price the trusts now
charge for their products or imported
goods would come in and compete with
the trusts and force them either to re-
duce their prices or lose trade. AS
many trust productions are sold by
those corporations for much less price
to foreigners than to our own people,
1t would seem that the American peo-
pie should have a chance Mt these bar
gain counter sales.
OF curse if you listen to the trust
magnatcs or their Republican friends
and defenders you will be told that to
decrease the protection the trusts nov
enjoy by virtue Of the present tariff
law would not only ruin those corpo-
ratlons, but compel them to so reduce
wages that their workmen would be
on starvation diet, like the '-pauper la
Dor of Europe" But it must be re-
membered that trust prices have ad-
vanced the cost of living over 40 per
cent-the department of commerce and
labor admits the increase to be IS per
cent-while the average advance in
wages has only been about 12h per
cent, although some few we'll organ
lied trades have been able to force a
greater advance, but even the highest
paid workmen have not been able to
get their wages increased to match the
increased cost Of living. If the trust
can be forced to reduce prices by re-
wishing the tariff the cost Of living
would fall in proportion, and the work
men could afford to have their wages
cut 1917 per cent, for they would gain
40 per cent in the decrease in the cost
OF living.
But those who are employed by the
trusts are a small proportion Of the
population. The farmers, the trades
men, the clerks and those with in
comes that do not increase as trust
prices advance are all paying 40 per
cent more for all they buy, on the av-
erage, than they did before the Dingley
high tariff bill was passed by the Re-
publican party in 1897. So 30 per cent
OF yer Of the people are taxed 40 per
cent on what they buy, which the
trusts mostly appropriate as their share
Of the protection system. The total rev.
enue to the government from the tariff
tax is $265, 600, 1000, or a little over So
per capita, but under the protection Of
40 to 200 per cent on trust products the
corporations indirectly collect about
$40 per capita as their share of the
transaction.
The government needs money; it has
been running behind for the past two
years, and the Democrats propose to
reduce the tariff duties so that the
United States will buy more goods
abroad, and In return foreigners will
buy more of us. That will produce
more revenue and at the same time
reduce the protection the trusts now
enjoy SO that they will be forced to
reduce the price Of their products to
meet the competition from abroad. We
with the foreigners, FOR they are now
selling many surplus products abroad
after paying freight and other charges
and the tariff duties which foreign
countries charge IN such importations.
In fact. so great has been this Amer.
fcan trust competition in Germany,
Russia, Brazil and other countries that
those countries named have advanced
their tariff rates to shut out this COM
petition from the United States and
have also increased the rates on farm
products to protect their own farmers
and IN retaliation for our high tariff
rates.
This tariff. war between the United
States and nearly all foreign countries,
except England, which is on q low tar
If basis, is only just begun, but prom
Uses to open the eyes of the American
people to the great losses they sustain
for the sake of the protected trusts.
The Republican leaders have agreed to
stand pat and refuse to revise the tar
III, and as most of the voters, irrespec-
tive of party, are FESTIVE under present
trust high prices, there must be collu-
sion between the trust magnates and
the Republican politicians to plumber
the public and divide the proceeds. OF
they would revise the tariff Us the PEG,
pie evidently desire. The Republicans,
it is well known, rely upon trust and
corporation money to run their cam
paigns, and in return most of the Re.
publican congressman and senators re
fuse to reform the trust fostering tar.
If. When you vote for congressman
and members Of the legislature next
fnll remember this and vote the Demo