The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1908-07-30

ital and combination shou'd 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-
tion of all, or nearly all, existing plants
in 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 will
not be affected by the mere aggrega-
tion of many existing plants under one
company, unless the company thereby
effects great economy, the benefit of
which II shares with the public, or
takes some Illegal method to avoid
competition and to perpetuate hold
on the business.
Proper Treatment Of Trusts.
Unlawful trusts should be restrained
with all the efficiency of injunctive
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 myri1ds of work
ingmen and workingwoncn. Such a
result is wholly unnecessary to the ac-
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 t0 destroy the plants of the
trusts physically but 1t proposes to
do the same thing in a different way.
The business of this country is large
ly dependent on a 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 b. the SO called trusts" and
TO put them on the free list If such
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 impractlcabe character
of the proposition grows palmer as its
effects upon the whole community are
realized.
To talie the course suggested by the
Democratic platform In these matters
Is to involve the entire community, In
nocent as it 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 busi-
ness. After ten years of the most re.
markable material development and
prosperity, there came a financial strin-
gency, panic and an industrial de-
preston. 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-
tlon, as definitely announced by the
Republican convention Of this year
and by previous conventions, is that
tariff shall be imposed on all imported
products, whether of the factory, farm
or mine, sufficiently great TO equal the
difference between the cost of produc-
tion abroad and at home, 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-
sonable profit to the American pro-
ducer A system of protection thus
adopted and put in force has led TO
the establishment Of a rate of wages
here that has greatly enhanced the
SeA-ANNAb Va iNAhb VI hAlC loDOhihB Ah0hs
II Is the policy Of the Republican party
permanently to continue that standard
of living. In 1897 the Dingley Tariff
Bill was passed, under which we have
had, as already said, period of enor-
nous prosperity.
Necessity For Revision Of Tariff.
The consequent material develop
ment has greatly changed the condi-
lions under which many Articles de.
scribed by the schedules of the tariff
are now produced. The tariff In h
number of the schedules exceeds the
difference between the cost OF produc-
ton of such articles abroad and at
home, including a reasonable profit to
the American producer The excess
over that difference serves no useful
purpose, but offers a temptation b
those who would monopolize the pro-
ductton and the sale of such articles
In this country, TO profit by the excess
i've rate. On the other hand, there are
| other schedules In which the tariff Is