Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-04-09
LICENSED TO ROB
WHAT TARIFF DUTY MEANS TO
STANDARD OIL TRUST.
Congressman kustermann One of
Those Who Seem to Have Seen
the Connection - Democratic
Attempt to End Monopoly.

Hon. Gustav Fisherman, who rep
resents the Green Bay district OF, Wis
:onsin, has ~endeayored to enlighten
the public in a speech in congress
about the amount of the tariff protec-
ton the Standard Oil trust has been
granted by the benevolent Republi-
cans. Like many other novices who
seek to discover the i~ntricacies of pro-
tectionism, he jumps at erroneous
conclusions and then tries to force his
errors upon the public. If it was not
that he appears to have imposed on
our good and great statesman Theo-
dore Roosevelt, instead of combining
himself to the Republicans in con-
gress and those of his Republican con-
stituents who perhaps are easily de-
ceived, it would hardly be worth
while to set him straight on the tar
If question.
In his speech he admits that him
self and other Republican congress
men and speakers have declared
that the Standard Oil Company, the
greatest and ~greediest trust in the
world, had no protection" He gives
the reason for this as ignorance of
the tariff, but says: "It came in handy
when we wished proof that there
was no connection between tariff and
trusts. 1t served it's purpose and 81
fenced those who were constantly at
lacking the tariff" Finding that the
voters were no longer to be fooled by
these evasions of tho connection be,
tween the tariff and the trusts, he now
admits, what has always been claimed
by the Democrats, that the Standard
Oil trust is protected by a tariff duty
of 'in some cases 100 to I'VE 200 pen
cent" as Mr.. Kustermann declares
under the proviso in paragraph 626,
although included in the free list.
AS a means of escape from this pro-
longed attempt Internationally to de-
ceive the people, as Mr.. Kustermann
declares, he now charges that the
same paragraph was in the Democrat,
ic tariff in 1894 "and our people over
looked it." If "our people overlooked
it," why did they increase the duty SO
enormously? He must know, however,
for he says he has made "a thorough
study of the tariff" that instead of the
Standard Oil trust being protected by
from 100 to 200 per cent, the
Democratic tariff expressly provided
that there shall be levied, paid an6
collected upon said crude petroleum OF
its products SO imported, 40 percen
tum ad valoxem." AS refined petro
leum was then worth in Russia about
six cents a gallon the ad valorem rate
would be but 2B cents a gallon, in
stead of 'in some cases 100 and ever
200 per cent" as Mr.. Kustermann now
declares the tariff duty to be. Con
gresham Rainey of Illinois, in 8
speech in congress on February 10
gave official and statistical proof Of
the Democratic contention, which car
be found in the Congressional Record
of that date on page 2056. In justice
to Mr.. Kustermann it must be sale
that he has introduced a bill to re
peal this tariff protection to the
Standard Oil trust.
But after all Fisherman is a blint
man leading the blind-Presiden'
Roosevelt as we'll as other Republican,
for it Is reported in a Washington
newspaper that the president "has be
come much interested in the question
of the tariff on petroleum." and has
secured a copy of Mr.. Kustermann's
address.
What the president needs Is not the
Kustermann speech but Congressman
Rainey's speech, for the former tell
but half the truth, while the lattel
exposes the whole infamous ~transac
ton which has allowed the STANDARD
Oil trust to plumber the American PEG
pie, while at the same time selling
its oil to other countries for much
less than it charges here.