The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1909-05-04
R0Bs THE POOR
Senator Raynor Dsnou1ces the
Payne Tariff Bill
SCORES THE TRUSTS

SUUhES shE lRUS1S
Says They Raise Prices, They Limit
Production, They Lower Wages
They Throttle Competition, They
Monopolize the Wealth Of the Land
and Hoard it Up.
In the United States Senate on
Friday, declaring that free trade is
! impracticable in this country, and
asserting that not single Demo-
crat would vote for it if presented
to him in a bill, Senator Rayner, of
Maryland, delivered an address de-
nouncing the Payne-Aldrich tariff
measure as failing to provide reve-
nue., and protecting the industries
controlled by trusts rather than CIV
ing any relief to the consumers Of
the country. Mr.. Rayner frequently
entered upon oratorial flights and
concluded with a series of condem-
nations of the so-called trusts Of the
countery. He declared his belief in
incidental protection in order to
maintain the wages Of American
Workmen.
~ have never believed to free
trade between this Country and any
other countries" Mr.. Rayner said.
Il think from every practical stand
point it is perfectly preposterous to
talk about it. l think the country
would vote such proposition down
almost with practical unanimity. 1
J believe in custom house taxation
and | do not believe any other sysr
| tenn will ever take its place to the
satisfaction Of the American peo-
pie. Free trade is not the question
before us, and no amount Of re-
proach and adjectives will deter me
from stating what the question real
| ly is If there were resolution now
boldly before the Senate in favor Of
the entire abolishing of tariff duties
l do not believe that the doctrine Of
free trade would receive single
vote upon our side of the chamber.
Reading from the Democratic plat
forms of 1876 and 1892 Mr.. Rayner
said they embodied his party's axiom,
! land that is,'' he added that we
have no constitutional power to coll
lect tariff duties except for the pur-
/ pose Of revenue" The pending tariff
! bill, he declared, should be entitled,
"A bill to encourage the industries
of the United States and for no other
purpose" He did not believe it
would add very much to our present
revenue collections. He characteriz-
ed the whole framework Of the meas
ure as protection and revenue after
! wards. If he had the framing of a.
tariff bill, he said, he would levy
the lowest tax possible upon the ne
cessaries of life and the highest tax
! possible upon the luXuries and
would protect American labor so as
! to maintain q times the standard
of American wages. Throughout the
whole bill l would look out for the
: consumer You may examine this
! bill; outside of the free list, and it
is almost impossible to discover the
consumer in any of tis complicated
schedules"
Speaking humorously upon what
F.; he declared to be the Inconsistencies
of the measure in determining what
were raw materials, he racounted his
experiences as member of the
House Of representatives. while the
Wilson bill was under consideration.
! 1.-THE bill will not, and it does
not" predicted Mr. Rayner," in any
substantial degree lower prices to
! the consumer; and l make another
prediction, and that is that this bill
will not in any substantial degree
affect the inordinate profits that the
protected industries are now recciV- .
, ing through house taxation
Mr.. Rayner combated the idea THAI
The great corporations of the country
benefit the consumers by utilizing
! economies or increasing wages. On
! the other hand, he declared Of the
! trusts:
'"They raise prices, they limit pro-
duction, they lower wages, they con-
tract the demand for labor, they
! throttle competition, they monopolize
the wealth OF the land, they withdraw
! it from the channels Of circulation.
and when they are driven from one
State they obtain their franchises
in another and they return with in
science to pursue their calling in the
place from which they are banished.
can look around in my own State
and observe that whenever new
enterprise is started that comes in
conflict with them they sweep down
upOn it as the cormorant does upon
his prey. and that their rapacity is
never appeased so long as spark
OF vitality is left in any competitor
that crosses their path.
II DO not find within this bill