Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-08-22


any cases where the committee had
not done exactly what the petitioners
| desired or had not inflexibly passed
upon the question, | could have hear
F, ing before you, but | find in every in
stance the action of the committee as
Mr.. Aldrich thinks it likely TO be. is
entirely satisfactory to the interests
or two, and the papers in regard to
those cases have handed to Mr. Aid
rich
Mr.. Miles Quo:ed.
Mr. Miles, whom | have before
| quoted. says. in American Industries
of April of this year:
People asking a government repre-
sentative for relief on another sched-
ule were by that representative re-
ferred to a New England manufac-
turer, the official agreeing to act in
accordance with the protected manu-
lfacturer's wishes. Said the manufac-
turer: L wrote that schedule myself
did not intend that it should be in
lterpreted as severely as ii has been
but having been so interpreted, | will
not consent to a modification of it
And this mans will remains the law
| We would not expect a jury TO do
justice to the defendant if it was COM
Iposed entirely of the relatives of the
lplaintiff; neither can we expect con-
gress to do justice to the masses if it
is composed of men who are in SYM
pathy with, and obligated TO. the cor
porations which have for a generation
been enjoying special privileges.
There is no prospect of relief from
a republican president and congress.
The democratic party, if entrusted
with power, can and will reduce the
tariff.
The democratic platform not only
demands a reduction of the tariff. but
ii plainly outlines the course to be
pursued in securing the reduction. 1t
begins by proposing that articles
which come into competition with ar
ticles controlled by a trust be placed
on the free list. What better place TO
, begin? Years ago Mr. Havemeyer, the
head of the sugar trust, said that the
tariff was the mother of trusts-and
her children are many. Secretary
Taft, in his notification speech, says
that an excessive tariff serves no use
t full purpose but offer a temptation TO
: those who would monopoliZe the pro
J duction and the sale of such articles
! in this country, to profit by the ex
r cessive rate
Now suppose the manufacturers
f who have been favored by legislation
: do conspire against the public and
: enter into a monopoly. What penalty
: do the republicans suggest? None
+ whatever. These men are to be con
S suited about proposed changes. and
4 if the next republican tariff is made
[ like former republican tariffs. nothing
D will be done without the unanimous
0 consent of the beneiciaries.-
+ What would be the effect of the
+ remedy proposed by the democratic
. platform? Simply this:-a law goes
el into effect at some fixed date in the
d, future. and if the democrats pass {
J.. law, putting upon the free list articles
n coming into competition with those
J. controlled by a trust. the trust viii
;. have until that date TO dissolve. L
II the trust considers the law too dras
o tic. it can avoid it by giving up it:
monopoly.
Calls Remedy Destructive.
. Secretary Taft calls this remed!
= | utterly destructive and in his ankle
= ~ to prevent it overlooks the fac
that the democratic party has othel
remedies for the trusts. If We cal
succeed in dissolving existing trusts
y and in preventing the organization o
Il new ones, there will be no trust
. against which to use the remedy o
s which he complains. There is nov
d la law against trusts. but it has no
o been sufficiently enforced to proven
l. trusts. The democrats demand its en-
r forcement; if its enforcement rids thu
u country of trusts, then this polio.
e which Mr. Taft so much fears viii
II become perfectly harmless. If tn
d democrats secure control of both tn
t. house and the senate. they are pledged
n to legislation which will make pr
II vate monopoly impossible. If the re
o. publicans retain control of part of tn
o legislative machinery of the govern
c. ment and refuse to join in the effor
to make a private monopoly, they ar
n not in a position TO complain of TART
IT legislation aimed at trusts. If the
10 refuse to assist us in eXterminatin
o. the principle of private monopoly
/? they cannot well object to Legislation
IS necessary to protect the people fror
id trust eXtortion.
at Mr. Taft did not refer to the pla
r. form demand that wood pulp, print pf
is per, lumber, timber and logs be place
at upon the free list. Why? Because Tn
president vainly besought congress t
e. enact a law embodying part of thi
rs demand. 1t is absurd to complain c
5 the exhaustion of our forests while W
b. encourage their destruction by tart
IS on the products of foreign forests. Blu
IS such legislation becomes not only
n folly but crime when it is remembe
10 ed that handful of men monopoliz
is the benefits flowing from the tariff o
FL; ,.,I;J he yhol -