The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1908-08-22
SURELY TIME TO REFORM.
Cut Down the Amount of Taxes Paid
the Tariff-Protected Trusts.

The Republican politicians and the
trusts have always, since their unholy
partnership began, tried to befOg the
tariff issue. 1t must be said they have
succeeded in doing so to a great ex-
tent and are still working faithfully
for the same end. 1t is useless for
Candidate Taft to decide that the
money of the trusts and corporations
will not be received for Republican
campaign funds, for like President
Roosevelt, when the eXigencies of the
campaign may require a large amount
of money to save the day." he too,
will probably initiate the Roosevelt
policy and call upon a Hartman to
make the collection.
There would be but few trusts If
they were not protected by the tariff
and there would be no Dingley law il
the Republican politicians were not
receiving, directly and indirectly, part
of the swag. The tariff, therefore, is
not for protection to the farmers and
workmen, but for the legal plundering
VI IL CldS0Co. IL Ia uSSICoo ~ lie
the enforcement of a criminal statute
against the trusts if the primary caus
of the organization of truStS-the tar
if law that fosters them-is allowed
to remain on the statute books.
The workingmen have been deluded
into voting the trust ticket, because
the trusts have been forced to in
crease wages to meet the increased
cost of living caused by trust high
prices. But now the inevitable panic
and f1uctuating prices have come and
wages are falling, are the laboring
men as we'll off as they would have
been with stable prices and steady
wages?
The high price of farm products
has not been caused by the tariff pro-
tecting the farmer, but by the foreign
demand for his surplus crops, or as
with the price of oats, by a failure of
the crop here. The great fall in the
price of wool, which is the only farm
product that is really protected by the
tariff. shows that the farmers are
more at the mercy of the wool trust
than benefited by the tariff on wool.
1t is estimated by the most eminent
statisticians that the average family
pays a tax of nearly $500 a year on ac-
count of the tariff law, of which about
$40 is received by the government and
about $50 is received by the trusts
in increased profits.
If these two collectors stood at the
door of the stores and directly de-
manded this tax, there would be some
grumbling at the government tax col
lector, but what would be done to the
trust collector? There would be a riot,
and if the government should send
troops to enforce the trust collections
there would probably be a revolt. But
the Republican politicians and the
trust managers have arranged the law
in a more diplomatic way, SO that you
pay your tariff and trust tax in the in
creased price of what you buy and the
~storekeeper pays it to the wholesalers
and through them the government re-
ceives it's tax on the imported goods
you buy and the trusts receive the
lions share in high prices for their
products. This indirect way of tax
ing you is quietly submitted to and
the Republican politicians and the
trust managers smile at your docility
and unsuspecting credulity.
!, It. would certainly seem that the
time has arrived for retrenchment and
reform. The Republican tariff has be-
got extravaganza; to reform it az the
propose will cut down the
amount of the tax you pay the gov
ernment, and if the cut is deep enough
VIII entirely obliterate the trusts tax
Of which they now plumber you.
The manufacturers will still live and
become more prosperous, but the trust
monopoly will die for lack Of special
privilege.