Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-08-22

Years ago Mr. Havemeyer, the head of
the sugar trust, said that the tariff w&s
the mother of trusts-and her children
are many Secretary Taft, in his notl-
fieation speech, says that an excessive
tariff serves no useful purpose but
offers temptation to those who would
monopolize the production and the sale
of such articles in this country, to
profit by the excessive rate"
Now suppose the manufacturers, 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 consulted about
proposed changes, and If the next Re-
publican tariff is made like former Re-
publican tariffs, nothing will be done
without the unanimous consent of the
beneficiaries
Democratic Remedy
What would be the effect of the
remedy proposed by the Democratic
platform? Simply this; A law goes
!. into effect at some fixed date in the
future, and If the Democrats pass n
law, putting upon the free list articles
coming into competition with those
controlled by a trust, the trust will
have until that date to dessolve. If the
trust considers the law too drastic 1t
can avoid it by giving up its monopoly
Secretary Taft calls this remedy ut
terly destructive and in his anxiety to
prevent it overlooks the fact that the
! Democratic party has other remedies
for the trusts. II we can succeed in
dissolving existing trusts, and in pre-
venting the organization of new ones
there will be no trusts against which
to use the remedy of which he COM
plains. There is now law against
trusts. The Democrats demand its en-
forcement If it's enforcement rids the
country OF trusts, then this policy which
fectly harmless. If the Democrats Sc
cure control of both the house and the
senate they are pledged to legislation
which will make a private monopoly
impossible. If the Republicans retain
control of part of the legislative ma
chinery of the government and refuse
to join in the effort to make private
monopoly impossible, they are not in a
position to complain of tariff legisla-
ton aimed at trusts. If they refuse to
assist us In discriminating the principle
of private monopoly, they cannot well
object to legislation necessary to pro-
tect the people from trust extortion.
Mr.. Taft did not refer to the platform
demand that wood pulp, print paper,
lumber timber and logs be placed upon
the free list. Why? Because the presf-
dent vainly besought congress to enact
law embodying part of this demand.
1t is absurd to complain of the exhaus-
ton of our forests while we encourage
their destruction by a tariff on the
products of foreign forests. But such
legislation becomes not only folly but
a crime when it is remembered that q
handful of men monopoIize the benefits
flowing from the tariff on these things,
while the whole country bears the bur-
den of the tax. Hon. r. f. Pettigrew
of South Dakota, in speech made In
the United States senate. referred to an
important statement which appeared
In the Northwestern Lumberman Feb
ruary 81, 1897. Senator Burrows OF
Michigan had referred to a Mr.. Win
chester as q man of great reliability
and truthfulness, and Senator Petit |
grew quoted Mr. Winchester as saying
| in the Northwestern Lumberman:
tThere were lot of gentlemen from
the northwest, up Minnesota way, in
| Washington the other day, and they
were sitting in Senator Burrows room.
An interesting incident occurred there
Senator Burrows is chairman of the
committee. The committee had not
had a meeting for a long time. They
happened to be seated in that room,
and one OF the gentlemen from Mime
sofa had an envelope and lead pencil.
He walked around the room and
ciphered up little bit, and he said:
"'Mr. Burrows, do you know what
81 thousand would mean to TINS
crowd of men in here?
"There were not as many in the room
as there are here. He said:
"'An advance of 81 thousand on
lumber would mean $6.126O0O on last
years product
Could more conclusive proof be de-
sired? And the Senator Burrows men
toned is the same Senator Burrows
who acted as temporary chairman OF
the last Republican national conven-
ton and sounded the key note OF the
campaign.
How Long? How Long?
How long will the Republican farm
ers, merchants and laboring men per-
NIT few men to make the tariff
laws for their own pecuniary advan-
; tage and at the expense of the rest OF
| the country?
The second step in the reduction of
the tariff is a material reduction upon
the necessities of life. especially upon
goods competing with such American
J manufactures as are sold abroad more
, cheaply than at home" At present the
articles used by the poor bear higher
rate, ad valorem, than the articles
used by the rich. This statement can
; be verified by an examination of any
1 of the schedules. A tax upon consump-
) ton even when laid with absolute
} impartiality, bears heaviest upon the
2 Door, because our necessities are much
more uniform than our possessions.
People do not eat in proportion to
their income; they do not wear cloJn-
ing in proportion to their income; they
do not use taxed goods in proportion
to their income. AS all taxes must
come out of ones income, no matter
through what system levied or col
lected, they are, in effect. income taxes,
! and taxes on consumption are really
graduated income taxes, the largest
, per cent being collected from those
: with the smallest income and the
) smallest per cent from those with the
, largest income. 1t is only fair, there
, fore, that in an attempt to relieve the
: people from the iniquities of a high
, tariff, the poor, who are over-bur-
dened, should be given first considera-
ton. Then too, a reduction in the
: tariff on the necessities of life brings
! benefit to all the people, while re-
duction in the tax upon luxuries would
/ benefit but a portion of the people.
! Surely no one will object to reduc-
ton being made upon articles which
come into competition with American
{ manufactures which are sold abroad
more cheaply than at home. The Amer
lean manufacturer who sends his
. goods to foreign lands and there, with
} .out any protection whatever, completes
: successfully with the manufacturers OF
/ all the world, does not need a high
/. tariff to meet competition in the home
market And there are enough articles
sold abroad at allow price to assure
) a large advantage to the American
lconsumers through the carrying out
: of this one plank
: Mr. Taft, however. finds the greatest
alarm, in the following clause in our