Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-09-19
URNTODEMOCRAC
FOR RELIEF FROM PRESENT
TRUST HIGH PRICES.
Calm Review of the Situation Shows
There Is No Hope to Be Placed
in the Republican Party.

Judging the future by the past, 1t is
almost impossible to expect tariff re-
form from the Republicans. The
Roosevelt wing of the party shows
but little more intention of taking
from the trusts their foster mother
than the most ardent standpatter. II
the evils of protecting the trusts with
the tariff are so great, why should the
revision Of the tariff be again post
poned for at least two years? Con-
gress will meet at the beginning OF
next December, and even in a presi-
Dental year there is no good reason
why it cannot spare the time until the
conventions meet in June or July,
1908, to pass a bill that would give
our people a share of the bargain
prices which the trusts now confine to
foreigners. There is but little leg1sla-
ton on other issues that is imperative,
and the ways and means committee
will have comparatively nothing to do.
unless they are put to work at COM
piling a tariff bill. Under the rules of
the house, which the majority is GER
tain to adopt, the Republicans can
limit debate to suit themselves. So
the Democrats will be powerless to
hinder quick action If they wanted to.
The Wall street panic in trust
stocks could hardly be more severe If
all the protection these industrial cor
porations now enjoy should be ruth
lessly cut off and the slump in bust
ness, which in spite of the optimistic
statements of the standpatters, has al
ready begun, shows that the boosted
prosperity is not produced by so-called
protection. There is no doubt that the
people would welcome relief, II the
Republican politicians will grant 1t tc
them.
VIII the administration surrender
to Speaker Cannon and his tariff pro
tected trust friends as 1t has for the
past three years, or will President
Roosevelt show his independence Of
"a few ruthless and determined mer
whose wealth makes them particular
ly formidable, because they hide be
hind the breastworks of corporate or
ganizations?" That latest description
by the president of the trust corpora
lions was followed by the declaration
in his P~rovincetown speech that NJ
such sinister combination shall rult
this government" Yet some occul
influence compelled the president t.
cut out of his message to congress
three years ago, and to Include
it in later messages, a tariff revision
recommendation.
1t is impossible to believe that tn
bold and strenuous Roosevelt is afrai
to tackle the trust octopi, at least tn
bad trusts, and the good trusts, !
there are any such, cannot be plumber
ing the people by being protected |
so doing by the tariff schedules, o
they would not be cited by the pres
dent as being good trusts" That tn
trust %plundering is going. on apact
everyone knows who takes account
the enormous increase in the cost
living since the present tariff was col
cocted by the trust representative
and the Republican leaders in 1879
1t is possible, of course, that the nece
sity of the Republican party for tru'
campaign contributions is the cauS
of the constant representation, esp
cially since the railroad element {
Wall street will not be very liberi
contributors, and the law that Senate
Tillman forced the Republicans I
pass, prohibiting contributions by n
tional banks may also cut off SON
large sums from that source. To CT
off the trust contributions by revisin
the tariff which protects the corpor
lions, just before election, Is perhaI
a greater risk than eve Presidel
Roosevelt is inclined to take. For Il
Republican campaign managers wit
out a chance to fry the fat out Of son
corporations would be as helpless
an automobile without gasoline. 1t
hardly necessary to point a moral
those voters who are suffering fro
, trust high prices, that relief WI
never come from the Republicans, b
it may be well to add that the cant
:, dates of the Democratic party, whiC
r by tradition and conviction favor
tariff for revenue, instead of prote
q ton, should receive the votes of tho
who desire reform.