Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-09-11
The Protected Trusts.

The Protected Trusts.
That the tariff protected trusts sell
cheaper to foreigners than to our own
people has been proved by the Demo
Gratis for some years. But for long
time 1t was denied by. the Republican
organs, and by the Republican leaders
in Congress. That the standpatters at
least have had to admit the truth of
the Democratic contention in spite Of
so long denying 1t shows the unrelia-
bility of Republican political state
ments when 1t seems necessary to them
to deceive the people. Perhaps the first
admission by Republican official of a
great trust selling cheaper abroad than
here has now appeared In the report
published by the Department of Labor
and Commerce from the Bureau of Cor
porations. This last report on the
Standard OIL Trust says: 'srhe course
of American and foreign prices In the
Inst five years covered by this report
has shown a greatly increased diverg-
ence In general, the American prices
going up and the foreign prices showing
marked decline" The report also
gives the price and margin of profit in
the United States and in foreign conn
tries which show greatly to the ulsad-
vantage Of the. American consumers
The statement made by Republicans
that petroleum is on the free list
which 1t ls-and therefore is not pro-
tected by the tariff, either overlook, or
purposely mistake the fact that al
though petroleum is on the fire., list, it
is at the same time very highly pro-
tected by reciprocity proviso which
the Republican managers obliglngly
tackled on at the end OF paragraph .62B
of the tariff law, which is the same
paragraph that puts petroleum crude
or refined" on the free list. 1t is known
that when the Dingley law was being
secretly concOcted by the Republican
members of the ways and means COM
mittee, not in the public rooms OF that
committee at the Capitol, With the
Democratic members present, but In n
private room at the Arlington Hotel
IN Washington, that the trust represent
atives were invited TO present schedules
covering their products and it Is evident
the OIL Trust people, or perhaps Sell.,-
tor Aldrlch, prepared the proviso, Which
actually protects the trust 100 per cent
That proyiso stipulates that ON petro-
leum and Its products produced in any
| foreign country" there shall be collect
ed when such goods are imported" n
duty upon said crude petroleum OF its
products so Imported equal to the duty
imposed by such country" As Russia
and the other important oil-producing
countries levy duties on Kerosene and
most other refined products of pctro-
leum averaging about 100 per cent 1t
follows that the Standard Oil Company
is one of our most highly proEec,e.l
trusts. The Treasury Department holds
that the rates of duty to he assessed
are not those levied by the country
from which the refined products may
be Imported but those levied by the
country which produced the petroleum
from which the imported produces were
made. So il
No wonder the Department OF Com.
merce and Labor has at last discovered
what the Democrats have always cain
ed that the OIL Trust and NOS. other
trusts are selling cheaper abroad than
to our own people and the tariff pro-
tects them in so doing, because their
foreign competitors cannot export oil
and other products to this country
without paying the tariff tax. The
Standard Oil and other trusts are thus
protected in charging not only the price
they are willing to sell their products
for, but to add to that price whatever
further profit the tariff protects them
in charging. Thus the American PEG
pie are plundered by the trusts through
the Republican tariff law, which ylrtu-
ally the protected interests made and
dictated to the Republican leaders.
Yet knowing and now admitting these
facts the Republican leaders declare
| they cannot revise the tariff at the
coming Congress. To appease the hon
est Republican voters who believe with
the Democrats that part, Mt least, of
the protection to trusts should be re-
duced to revenue basis, they now
pose, as they often have before. TO
promise to revise the tariff after the
presidential election.
The Republican leaders, however, are
nearly all inveterate standpatters, and
even those who now promise to accede
to the popular demand for tariff reform
still stick to the platform declaration
Of 1904 that protection which guards
and develops our industries is cardi-
nal policy of the Republican party" As
cardinal means of fundamental i'm
pertance, of course, no good Republican
from Roosevelt to Cummins with his
Iowa idea" but will stick to protecting
| the trusts and fry the fat out of them
as heretofore.
Reduced Railroad Rates.
The question of railroad rates,
either fixed by the states on trans
portatlon within the state, or fixed by
the United States on interstate bust
ness, must eventually come before the
United States Supreme Court on the
question of constitutionality. The press
Ing Issue Is whether the rate reduc-
| lions shall go into effect at once, or by
lnjunctions issued by the lower federal
courts be. postponed until each case is
reached and is decided by the highest
court. This matter of the railroads
being able to take advantage of all
the laws delays was the contention of
the Democrats when the railroad rate
bill was being discussed in the Senate
aud the Culberson amendment, which
the Republicans defeated was Intended
to cure that defect in the law. Re.
/ gardfng the same delay under state
legislation the question is one of state
rights, and whether the reduced rates
can be held up by the injunction of an
inferior federal court issued by q
judge in evident sympathy with the
| railroads, when the natural order OF
| nItly.a yt,I 10 tI,nE tI,~