Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1907-11-15
ROOSEVELT, The TARIFF and
TRUSTS.


in the midst Of us today than the vehe-
ment verbal attacks which Mr.. Roose-
welt is making on the evils OF the trusts
and the necessity for regulating them.
These verbal attacks are economically
stupid because they threaten the busi-
ness prosperity of the nation; they are
politically stupid because no rational
method Of des'ing with trust evils is
announced.
MIR. Roosevelt is not a Statesman, but
up to date be Las shown himself a mas
terly politician. He always plays to the
gallery and he has learned that the word
trust is one to coiure with. Ii affects
u great many people when uoed by a
man like Mr.. Roosey welt, though in a
different way, US st ronglY us the blessed
word 1Menopotumid,r when shot through
George WLiteiield's eloquent lips.
IT Is uDquestonable that the trusts
are robhIug tho American people today.
There is hardly an article OF
produced by the trust which does not
cost the people u great deal more than
it ought to cost then. People pay more
for their clotheing, their huis, their
boots and shoes, their stoves and fuel
aud a hundred more things besides thar
they would Ge Obliged to pay il the
trusts did not have them Mt their mercy.
The people are well ayaIe Of thus
fact and resent it; hence the uDpopu-
larity OF the trust; hence the popularity
OF any man who, with throat OF brass
and adamantiue lunge,' talks as Mr..
Roosevelt does concernmg this OF tina,
great corporate octupus.
But there ls a very simple remedy for
every evil Of the ~irusts, II remedy that
would, il applied, make the trusts Il
blessing, rather than nm evil. And that
remedy consists i'll removing the tariff
duty on every article manufactured b,
the trusts.
Remove the tariff duties on trust-made
articles and the artificial prices from
which the people suffer would tumble
at once. Why, then, docs not Mr..
Roosevelt adopt this remedy il he really
believes that the people are suffering
from tho trust?
Their is but II nswer Mr.. Roose-
Welt KNOWS that to acknowledge that the
tariff is responsible for all the evils
which trusts infict you'd mean inform
ing the people that republican stump
speakers have been deceiving the people
for years on the tariff question. Re-
publican orators have vociferated, with
damnable iteration and reiteratioD, that
the tariff Is the parent Of American
prosperity that its schedules are sacred
things not to be tampered with, and
that any reduction in tariff duties would
send the country completely to the
damnition boS-wows. To inform the
people at this juncture that they have
been cruelty deceived; that the tariff, so
Tar from being a blessing, has, on the
contrary, been the greatest curse to the
people over enacted by an American
congress, would be equivalent to saying
that the republican party has been the
enemy and not the friend OF the Ameri.
can people.
For party reasons it is still necessary
to keep up this roaring farce about the
blessing Of the tariff. Now, il the presi.
dent would only maintain ut the came
time TINT the trusts, which the tariff
protects, are blessings also, one could
make no attack OF his logical consist.
ency, no matter how much II nigh,
deplore his judgment. But Mr.
Roosevelt will never allow himself
to be logically consistent. He will con,
tinue TO attack the %trusts, while main
tanning silence on the tariff policy oil
his party, which he has Loyalty sup
ported Tor years, that gives them AL
their dreaded power.
It ia to be hoped that the people viii
wake up before long and learn 70 gauge
the presidents mental calibre and in
telletual honesty with greater degree OF
accuracy thnn they have succeeded II
dong heretofore. And when they dc
they will see that never before in the
history OF the nation Inns there been 1
president who talked go much and &C
complishod so little TINT was wortl
while IA Mr.. Roosevelt.
IL is time and high time that the dem
ocrats throughout the nation rouset
themselves from their unsocmly letharg,
and bcstirred themselves. Not a few q
them act as though they thought tim
MIR. Roosevelt'e hypnotic spell over tn,
people was too 81 strong to be broken. III
strength il, in REALITY, more appnren
than rcal. A vigorous i%nsistence TIM
Mr.. Roose velt nnswer the queetiop VIII,
no has not cmp'oyed the one remed,
that gould cure the economic diseas,
he processes 10 dcpluro so much woult
bave the salutary effect OF cOmpellInt
MIR. Roosevelt to either adopt The demo
critic policy or reveal hin self n mer,
wind jammer.
We believe that Mr.. Roosevelt ia full,
aware Of the relation that exists bot weer
tho tariff and the trusts. And II lie will
not attack tho trusts in their on,
vulnerable spot let The democrats star
n campaign OF education TINT will rous,
the people 10 put n man in the White
/ -V. aHnn