Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1908-08-04


for the trusts and combines that are
sheltered by the tariff? AS every trust
or combine win be found to have some
monopoly behind it, the party that has
fostered this monopoly, principally by
enacting High and in some cases prohi-
bitive tariff rates, which prevent com
petition from abroad, must be held re-
sponsible. How is it possible to sep
arate the two questions of tariff reform
and control of the trusts which are SO
blended with each other?
To escape from this dilemma of the
tariff that has fostered and protected
the trusts, the Republicans declare that
tariff revision and regulation of the
trusts are absolutely separate and dis
tinct questions. Thus President Roose-
welt in 1903 declared in a speech TO his
fellow citizens
Zone point we must especially keep IN
mind. The question of tariff revision,
speaki & broadly, stands wholly apart
from the question of dealing with the
trusts. No change in tariff duties can
have any substantial effect in solving
the so-called trust problem"
With all due Difference to President
Roosevelt, we submit that he is in err
ror. While it Is true that no amount
of tariff revising could effect complete
solution OF the so-called trust prob
lem" it is and long has been notorious
that a number of trusts are sheltered
by schedules that enable them to prac-
tice an oppressive extortion.
Why have the Republicans refused to
reform the tariff schedules that protect
the trusts? If the Republican leaders
are correct in saying that mo change in
tariff duties can have any substantial
effect in solving the trust problem,
why keep these high schedules on the
statute book? These tariff schedules do
not produce revenue, because they are
too high in most cases TO permit the
Importation of foreign products. So
why not abolish or reduce them as the
people desire?
The much boosted trust-busting of
President Roosevelt has never attacked
those Industrial combines that fatten
by the tariff, but he has confined his
efforts to another class Of combinations
of which the Northern Securities mer-
ger is the type. Results show that was
a waste of effort, for the combination
still exists between the Great Northern
the Northern Pacific and the Burlington
railroads, and the rates they charge
have not been reduced by the dissolu-
ton of the merger.
The prosecution of the Standard Oil
Trust, with The resulting large fines,
has not reduced the price of oil to con-
sumers, nor have the fines been collect
ed and probably never will be. The
Standard Oil Trust was fined for receiv-
ing rebates from the railroads and the
trusts may still be secretly receiving
rebates for aught any of US know. If
the tariff law had not been adroitly
changed by the proviso that protects
the oil trust from competition the price
of oil would undoubtedly have been 30
per cent less than it has been for the
past ten years Otherwise the fear of
foreign oil being imported would have
forced the trust to keep down the price
of its products to prevent loss of trade
If the steel trust and the sugar trust
and all the osher trusts were not like
wise protected by the tariff the price
of their products would be reduced for
the same reason-to protect their trade
from foreign competition.
1t is only now just before election
when the people have been aroused by
the discovery of how greatly they have
been plundered by the tariff protecting
the trusts, that, some of the Republican
politicians are willing to declare for
tariff revision latter election" If the
dark political clouds should again roll
by and the people again show their be-
lief in Republican promises by electing
Republican administration and Re-
publican Congress. would not the Re
publican managers endorse the position
of President Roosevelt quoted above
and decline to reform the tariff?