The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1908-06-04
The Good (?) Trusts.


remarks to the Railroad conductors
at Chicago. The Socialists quote
what he said with satisfaction az
admitting "the fact of the class
struggle" The secretary declares
he was misquoted, and that what
he did say WAS this:
"rhat unless laborers united in
to organizations, the laborers
would stand no chance in that
inevitable controversy that we
always hope will be peaceful, but
that must exist-tha inevitable
controversy as to how labor and
capital shall share the joint
product of BOTH"
The effort of Secretary Taft tc
allay the dislike of labor to him,
on account of his former injunc.
tions when judge, in the interest
of employers, and against the
strikers, will require more than
such a small tub that he has throwo
to the labor whale.
But whatever may come of the
controversy between Mr.. Taft and
organized labor, there is another
statement he is reported to have
made in the same speech that no
Democrat can endorse, because it
does not agree with notorious
facts. "Combinations of capital, "
said Mr.. Taft, "wlthin the bounds
of the laws are necessary for bu 81 :
ness expediency and for cost
reduction" Mr.. Taft evidently
believes with President Roosevelt
that there are "good trusts" which
through monopoly can produce
"cOst reduction 1t would be
interesting to know how these
eminent Republicans explain the
fact that although the steel trust
by combination virtually controls
the steel production of the
country and has undoubtedly
reduced the cost of production,
yet persists in maintaining the
price of its products at the top
notch. "Cost reduction" of trust
products is but of little service to
the American people if they do
participate in the reduction by
buying cheaper goods. AS the
trusts by combination may reduce
the cost of their products, why
should not the people who use
them participate in the reduced
cost? From the restricted view of
the Secretary Taft and President
Roosevelt a trust that produces
cheaper than independent manu-
facturers can is good trust, but
from democratic standpoint the
whole theory of trust combinations
is based on monopoly and the
tariff which protects the trusts is
the chief cause of their existence.
Cost reduction in price to consum-
ers is but an absurd Republican
fallacy.
There can be no trust or combin-
alton unless there Is some kind of
monopoly back If it. Therefore,
there can be no com binations that
are good for the people,, Those
trusts that are protected by the
tariff would soon come compare
lively "good" il the tariff that
protects them was reduced to a
revenue basis 80 that the competi.
tion they have smothered at home
by combination, would be revived
by competition from abroad. If
combination under free cOmpe-
tition the trusts, be it Steel Trust
or any other trust, can than "cost
reduction sell their products
cheaply to the American people,
there would be some ground for
saying such competing trust is
u good trust. But there never
can be good trust as long as it
is so protected by the Republican
policy of tariff protection that it
can charge more for it's products
here than it sells such products for
IN foreign countries.
If the trusts have any bargain
counter propositions to offer, they
should be first offered to the
American people.
Creamer for Treasurer.
Gnlnm huo n Mau q N G