Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-09-04

them the Philadelphia Press, much
fear that the trust issue will he lost
Sight of in "threadbare discussion of
the tariff question" But bless your
dear standpat heart, don't You know
that the trust issue is the tariff ques-
ton? The protection the tariff gives the
trusts by allowing them to charge enor-
nous profits for their products is what
the public are kicking against. High
prices for trust products therefore ties
up the trust and the tariff issues into
one knot that cannot be united without
Congress so revising the tariff us to
eliminate protection to the trusts,
which can be shown to be fostered by
the enormous tariff rates of duty, which
prevent competition from abroad. 10
discuss the tariff issue can hardly lose
sight of the plundering of single trust,
and is anything but Il '.threadbare dis
cussion of the tariff question" In fact
1t Is the meat Of the matter of which
all Democrats are complaining and
many Republicans that the present high
tariff system is the mother of trusts.
The Republican leaders have determin-
ed that no tariff legislation shall be
considered by the coming Congress,
which will postpone consideration Of
the question until after March A, 1900.
The administration, however, is said to
favor tariff commission to be pro-
vided by the coming Congress to inves-
tisate and report to Congress from
time to time such legislation as is de-
termined to be desirable. Ii such a
tariff commission could be composed of
experts and non-partisans, with sin
gle eye to the raising of revenue with
the least possible cost to the American
people, it would be most valuable aid
to Congress in determining how to re-
wise the tariff schedules, thus deciding
the whole issue of tariff reform. But
looking at the matter from the stand
point of practical politics, the coming
Congress can do nothing to bind the
action of the next Congress which will
be elected in 1908, and whose term be-
gins on March 4, 1909. To, every Con-
gress is committed the duty of raising
revenues and making appropriations
and the acts of one Congress cannot
bind the next or succeeding Congress.
To revise the tariff there must be
a majority of the House of Represent
atives committed to tariff reform. and
although the Senate under the constitu-
ton cannot originate bill to raise
revenue that body has equal power to
pass upon such measure and to
amend it, so majority of the Senate
must also favor tariff reform.
1t is impossible to believe that the
Republican majority of the Senate, con-
trolled as it now is by trust and pro-
tected corporation influence, will vote
to establish commission for the
avowed purpose of recommending tar
If reform that would take from the
trusts all, or even part, of the extra
profit that they are protected by the
tariff in exacting from the American
people.
Until the voters elect majority of
the House of Representatives openly
pledged to tariff reform and elect
State Legislatures that will vote for
United States Senators who are also
committed to tariff revision instead of
trust protection, the trust issue will be
as useless as the threadbare discussion
of the tariff question is to stand
patter. AS 1t is useless to expect the
hearts of the Republican leaders will
change from their trust affections, as
the political life of most of them de
ponds on trust campaign contributions,
1t is plain that there is no relief to be
expected from trust high prices until
the voters entrust tariff reform to the
Democrats.