The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1908-01-25
BREEDER OF TRUSTS
REPUBLICAN TARIFF POLICY
WELL DESCRIBED.
M. Z. ingalls, Points Out Reason for
The Great Accumulation Of Wealth
In a Few Hands-Need Of I'm
mediate Change.

showed the only cure for the evil
that advocated by the Democrats
proper reduction Of the tariff where 1t
serves to foster monopoly, and pub
iicity for corporate affairs. He said
In part:
1--WE hear much to-day from the Re-
publican leaders about the large cor
porations and trusts and predatory
wealth, and they call for their destruc-
ton (as though that would bring
safety to the republic), when the fact
is, it is like cutting down the weeds
instead of digging them up by the
roots. To my mind, the great source
and cause of these large corporations,
and this great accumulation of wealth
in a few hands, is due to u system of
taxation; more especially the tariff.
That Is the great breeder of trusts
and fortunes. A tariff which enables
men to combine and keep out compe-
tition, and then feed upon the public,
increasing their profits from year to
year. This is the source and origin
of nearly all these great combinations.
When this government first started,
and until a few years since, the theory
of the tariff vas that it should be so
laid as to produce revenue, with tax
alton as an incident. This has been
changed in the last few years, so that
today your tariff is made for protec-
ton, and the revenue is only an incl
Iarf Th,c 10 tho Ioot;no 0f thu
fathers reversed, and reversed for
what? For the purpose of enabling
these great corporations to protect
themselves and form alliances and
combinations which will keep out
competition; and sell cheaper to for
eigners than to u own people; to
drive out the small manufacturers,
and produce exactly the condition of af-
fairs that we have to-day. Does any
n think that a law can be wise or
good which will enable one man to
take $500, 600, 900 or $500, 900, 900 out of
manufacturing business by a combina-
ton, formed solely for the purpose of
driving out all the smaller manufac-
tIrers and forming one gigantic mo-
nopoly? Was there ever a tariff law
made in the last 20 years that vas not
dictated by the sugar trust? The
president Of that trust, who was one
Of the ablest men in the country, prop
erly and rightly stated at Washington
that the tariff was the mother of
trusts. No n knew better than he
whereof he spoke. We do not wish to
break down, to destroy. Our mission
is to build up. but We want to build up
for the benefit of the many and not
for the few. Our Republican oppo-
nentS say We must not touch the tariff
this election, and that when it is
amended it should be by the people
who are it's friends; that is, l suppose,
those who are sharing the profits of
the legalized robbery. This is a nice
doctrine, which if applied to every
thing in the world would produce some
astonishing results. The swindler who
was cheating you might say he should
not be interfered with at present, and
that the laws to protect you from such
%swindling should be made in the future
by his friends. We think it well, if
this is an evil, as claimed, that it
should be eradicated now, and that the
provisions for it's eradication should
not be made by those who are sharing
in the plumber. Let us have an honest
deal; let the change be made at once,
and let it be made by the people. So,
my acknowledgements, I would have
our party make this one of the leading
issues of the coming campaign.
Next, l would endeavor to control
the trusts, and by trusts l mean any
combination of men or individuals for
purposes of business, whether under
the name of a trust, corporation or a
company. There is really no difference.
II am not in favor of destroying them,
as some of the statesmen Of the day
demand.
"The first way of controlling these
Is by amending the tariff, as l have al
ready stated. This will do away with
the government protection in their
formation, and in the conduct of their
business.
Then, instead of destroying those
that are left, let us control them and
make them our servants and sub
~servient to law instead of %independ-
ent and defying it. Let us provide that
any aggregation of capital, whether a
trust or corporation or a company, by
whatever name they call themselves,
Intending to do an interstate business,
should apply for a license to do bust
ness to the commissioner of corpora
tons of the national government, a1d
in such application they must state
where and when incorporated, the
amount Of their capital, how it was
paid for, who ere it's stockholders and
officers, and, in fact, a complete his
tory of ..he formation of the company,
and its financial condition. Then, If
approved. they should be given per-
mission to do business, but only with
they understanding that they make up
a statement of their condition at least
twice a year, and that they submit all
their books and accounts for examina-
ton by commissioners appointed by
the government. In other words. their