Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1907-08-23
Evils Of the Trusts.

pass now from railway regulation and
! the abuses arising i'm the discharge Of a
public function TO the evils which have
grown out OF the combinations existing IN
private business and so come to the sub
jet of trusts The combination Of capital
Ia large plants to manufacture goods with
the greatest economy is just as neces-
sary AS the assembling of the parts Of
machine to the economical and mora
rapid manufacture Of what IN old times
was made by hand. The government
should rot Interfere with the one any
more than the other. In the proper OPP
Irati0n of competition the public VIII
soon share with the manufacturer the adj
vantage i'm lowered prices. When, how
ever such combinations not only lower
the cost to themselves. but are able to
control the market and maintain or raise
the old prices. the public derives no bon
eft. and is helpless in the hands of a
monopoly
Fear Of the existence of such an abuse
led to the passage of the antitrust law
IN 1890. 10 recognizes two forms in which
this evil may be maintained one Is by
an agreement among number Of differ
ent manufacturers Of an article for tho
Of the price of the article
and the suppression OF competition. This
Is denounced when the contract is in re
straint OF interstate trade as a criminal
oftense against the United States. punish
BILE by fine and imprisonment, and a con-
spiracy which may be restrained by in
junction I'm 81 civil suit.
Free Trade Will Bring Disaster.
come now TO the question of the tariff.
is revision and its relation to the unlaw-
ul trusts. The Dingley tariff was adopt
ID Immediately after the election Of Mr. I
Mckinley. Since that time we have passed I
through the Spanish war and have had a /
lecads of prosperity and an increase and I
expansion Of trade uneXampled in the his 4
DRY of this or any other country. The I
Republican principle of the protective .
arin is, as understand It. that through
he customs revenue law tariff should
'e collected on all imported products that
ompete with American products which
viii at least equal a difference i'm the cost
Z production I'm this country and abroad.
nd that proper allowance should be made
4 this difference for the reasonable prof
IS 20 the American manufacturer The
lain OF protectionists. and 1t has been
bundantly justified in the past. is that
secures a high rate of wages
nd that the announcement it gives to
ne home Industry operating under the in
uence Of an energetic competition be- /
veen American manufacturers. induces
lch economies as to reduce greatly the /
rice for tho benefit Of the American pub
C and makes it possible to reduce tho
needed protection and good profit
The present business system Of the :
,untry rests on the protective tariff. and
ny attempt to change It to Fl free trade
isis will certainly lead only to disaster.
Wants Tariff Revision.
II is the duty of the Republican party,
'wever, TO see to it that the tariff on i'm
'rted articles does not exceed substan-
ally the reasonably permanent differen-
al between the cost of production in the !
reign countries and that in the United S
ates and therefore when changes take q
ace in the conditions of production like =.
to produce a very large reduction in
a cost OF production IN the United {
ates, it is time that schedules be re-ex- c
mined. and if excessive that they be re- 4,
iced so as to bring them within the Jus =
icaton for the rule by which the ,
mount Of tariff to be imposed under the e
elective system is properly determined. n
cannot close without comment on the :
sition Of advantage for the coming ma Il
nal campaign which President Roose- a
IT, by the intense earnestness. vigor, ri
urage and success with which he has ?,
assed the reforms that rightly bear his -