Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-08-13

that such large aggregations of cap
ital and combination should be con-
trolled so that the public may have
the advantage of reasonable prices
and that the avenues of enterprise
may be kept open to the individual and
the smaller corporation wishing to en-
gage In business.
Many enterprises have been organ
lied on the theory that mere aggrega.
ton of all, or nearly all, existing plants
In a line Of manufacture, without re-
gard to economy Of production, de
stroys competition. They have, most
of them, gone into bankruptcy. Com
petition In a profitable business win
not be affected by the mere aggrega.
ton Of many existing plants under ons
company, unless the company thereby
effects great economy, the benefit Of
which It shares with the public, OF
takes some Illegal method to avoid
competition and to perpetuate q hold
on the business
Proper Trsatmsnt Of Trusts
Unlawful trusts should be restrained
with all the efficiency Of intmctive
process, and the persons engaged In
maintaining them should be punished
with all the severity Of criminal pros
ecution In order that the methods pur
sued In the operation Of their business
shall be brought within the law. To
destroy them and to eliminate the
wealth they represent from the pro
ducing capital Of the country would
entail enormous loss, and would throw
out Of employment myrtads of work.
ingmen and workingwomen- Such q
result Is wholly unnecessary to the &C.
complishment Of the needed reform
and will inflict upon the innocent far
greater punishment than upon the
guilty.
Destructive Policy Of Democratic Plat
form.
The Democratic platform does not
propose to destroy the plants Of the
trusts physically, but it proposes to
do the same thing in a different way,
The business of this country is large.
ly dependent on protective system Of
tariffs. The business done by many
of the so called trusts" is protected
with the other business Of the country.
The Democratic platform proposes to
take off the tariff In all articles com.
ing into competition with those pro-
duced by the so called trusts" and
to put them on the free list. II such
a course would be utterly destructive
Of their business, as is intended, 1t
would not only destroy the trusts, but
all Of their smaller competitors. The
ruthless and impracticable character
of the proposition grows palmer as its
effects upon the whole community are
realized
To take the course suggested by the
Democratic platform In these matters
Is to involve the entire community, in
nocent as II Is, IN the punishment Of
the guilty, while our policy Is to stamp
out the specific evil. This difference
between the policies Of the two great
parties is Of especial importance In
view of the present condition Of bush
ness. After ten years of the most re-
markable material development and
prosperity, there came q financial strtn-
gency, panic and an industrial de-
pression This was brought about not
only by the enormous expansion of
business plants and business invest
ments which could not be readily con-
verted, but also by the waste of CAPT
tai, In extravaganza of living, In wars
and other catastrophies.
Republican Doctrine Of Protection.
The Republican doctrine of protec-
ton, as definitely announced by the
Republican convention Of this year
and by previous conventions, Is that a
tariff shall be imposed on all imported
products, whether Of the factory. farm
or mine, sufficiently great to equal the
difference between thu cost Of produc-
ton abroad and at hone, and that this
difference should, Of course, include
the difference between the higher
wages paid In this country and the
wages paid abroad and embrace a rea-
sonabie profit 70 the American pro-
Queer. A syvtem Of protection thus
adopted and put IN fuscs has led 30
the establishment Of q rate OF wages
here that has greatly enhanced the
standard OF living Of tho laboring man
It 10 the policy Of the Republican party
permanently to continue that standard
Of living. In 1907 the Dingley Tariff
Bnl was PASSED, under which we have
had, as already said. period of enoe-
nous prosperity.
Necessity For Revision u Tariff.
The consequent material develop
ment has greatly changed the condf-
lions under which many articles de-
scribed by the schedules of the tarfff
are now produced The tariff In q
number Of the schedules exceeds the
difference between the cost Of produc-
ton Of such articles abroad and at
home. including reasonable profit 10
the American producer. The excess over
that difference serves no useful pur-
pose, but offers temptation 70 those
who would monopolize the production
and thesaleof such articles In this coun-
try. to profit by the excessive rate On
the other hand, there are some few
other schedules In which the tariff Is
not sufficiently high to give the meas
ure Of protection which they should re
ceive upon Republican principles, and
as to those the tariff should be raised.
A revision Of the tariff undertaken
upon this principle, which Is at the
basis Of our present business system,