The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-01-07
PO|IfCl| Comment.
Trust nIagnates and the Tarifr.


1t had not occurred to the people OF
the United States to refer the ques-
ton of protective principles to the
heads of the largest trusts in the
country, through accurate information
is welcome from any source. \ power
full established trust cssl take care OF
itself with or without protection, for
its first great object is to occupy the
field in dominant way by getting
the upper hand of competition. No
one doubts that the great steel inter-
ests represented by Mr.. Carnegie, Judge
Gary and others of their financial class
can continue to make large dividends
without regard to tariff considerations.
Their companies have the advantage
of vast capital and immense running
plants. They can buy on the preferen-
tial rates identified with the largest
operations and cannot be forced to sell
combination, perhaps, with the trusts
of Europe or other foreign regions.
But how about wage-earners in the
steel business and smaller concerns That
would like to engage in the business
as new opportunities appear? One of
the great aims Of protection in the
tariffs of this country Is to maintain
the rate Of American wages, which is
much the best, In amount and relative
ly, paid anywhere in the world.
These trust chieftains who are APP
pearing before the ways and means
committee consider the question from
the dividend-paying point, not from
that Of the wage-earners. Mr.. Car
negie says the steel industry can now
stand without protective duties. Would
he be willing to insure, personally as
far IS his bond would go, that putting
steel on the free list would not be fol-
lowed. soon or late, by reduction of
wages In this line of production, which
reaches into the mines and transporta-
ton by rail and water, as well as into
the iron mills? Free steel would GER
tainly put American labor in direct
competition with poorly paid foreign
labor in the same business, and as far
as wage-earners are concerned there is
nothing to Offset the risk or to war
rant it, Possibly Mr.. Carnegie could
push his trust affiliations in Europe so
that the advantages of his corporation,
and his dividends, would be greater
than ever But there would be no ac-
companying chance that American
wages would be advanced, nor any
obligations entered into for their main
tenance, nor any fund set aside to pro-
vide against their POSSIBLE reduction.
Protection is the mother of American
wages and American home competition
In the general sense The trusts say
they can do without it. 1t is an in
structive statement Wage-earners have
not Joined in it. nor will they.
The Standard Oil Company has am
ply shown that it can do without pro-
lection. For years its dividends have
been from 40 to As per cent year
In a recent financial crisis the oil trust
poured S32,O00,000 cash into Wall
StIttI III a SiHsit out-u Il luO-
nopoly might become mightier than the
government, especially il 1t undertook
to say how the Supreme courts of the
States should be made up. Free trad
ers are busy just now with the idea
that they are to take a hand in tariff
revision They will find that the Re-
publican party will attend to this bust
ness on an absolutely firm protectionist
basis. The revision promised by the
Republican national platform is to pre-
serve without excessive duties that
security against foreign competition to
which American manufacturers. farm
ers and producers are entitled, but also
to maintain the high standard of liv-
ing of the wage :arners of the coun-
try who are the direct beneficiaries
of the protective system VIII Mr..
Carnegie assert that he is as sure az
the future of American wages in +
steel industry as he is of the dividen.
of his huge corporation:-St Louis
Globe Democrat.