Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1908-04-17

The kepu0ilcansi IL 'hSS
next Congress, will not need the ADVICE
and assistance of Tariff Commission
for all they need do is to call In the ex-
perts and attorneys of the Trusts. That
ls what they did in 1897 when the pres
emit tariff law was fixed up. What Is
the use of Deceiving the taxpayers, as
Congressman Payne does, 10y declar-
inr that tariffs have always been
made without anything like adequate
information. Mr.. Payne and the
other members of the Ways and Means
Committee were fully advised, when
they were considering the Dingley
tariff law, that the high rates demand
ed by Mr.. Carnegie and the Steel Trust
reople would breed monopoly. When
thew allowed the Standa.d Oil Trust
attorney to write the proyiso to the Oil
schedule they knew they were protect
ing che trust and adding at least so
DER cent tethe price Of kerosene to the
American people aadthe poorest peo-
pie at that.
When they accepted the Beef Trust
schedule on hides they pretended TO be
protecting the American farmer, but
they were helping the Leather and Besf
Trusts. When they accepted the wool
schedule of the Wool Growers Asso-
citation they knew they were addin G
rs per cent, at least, to the cost OF
wooden goods to those people Of North
ern States, who from necessity have TO
buy them and instead of helping the
farmers, it was the 6ockmasters of the
great Western plains that were most
ly benefited. When they wrote the
chedule that protects the Paper Trust
they must have known the newspaper
owners would h I'VE to pay the tariff
duty in increased profit TO the trust.
Not q schedule, but was carefully con-
sidered and all with the same intent
and purpose of adding to the burdens
of the people for the benefit OF the
Trusts.
The Trusts were well acquainted
with the facts and in return have been
most liberal contributors TO the cam
paign fund of not only the Republican
National COMMITTEES, but also to the
committee who manages the election of
presidents and congressman, both of
Senate and House, who were ''sound
on the tariff.
And now the same old show is to
be played again with different title
and the excuse that there must be add.
cd maximum schedule rates to protect
us from the pauper labor of England
whose woEkingmen are now in better
circumstances than our own work
men are because their cost Of living is
so much less.
The English workingman has lower
wages, but the world to draw from for
his necessities, for every country, In
Guiding the United States, sells him
its surplus products in competition
with each other, with no tariff duties
to speak of to add to the price. Here
everything imported that is manufac-
tured is taxed and the trusts profit by
adding the tariff rate to their own nat
ural profit. The only difference being
that the government collects the tariff
tax on the goods imported and the
trusts collect the la2iff tax on their
products produced here while the tariff
protects them from foreign competi-
item 1t is now proposed to promise
the people to revise the tariff "after
election but whether the tariff is to
be revised lower or higher is left to
the Imagination of the voter. As the
Republican leaders now declare they
must enact a maximum tariff as well
as minimum, it is evident that some
Of the trusts want still higher rates and
no doubt they will be Accommodated by
their friends, the Republican polIti-
clans.