The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1910-01-28
THE TARIFF THE CAUSE OF
THE HIGH PRICES AND
THE INCREASED COST
OF LIVING.

There is a wide spread interest aroused
all over the entire country, which is
caused by the great increase in the cost
of food and clothing.
This is not a sudden or unexpected
result, but it has been a gradual but GER
tain process that has been going on for
years.
But the public attention was not arous-
ed until it has reached such enormous
proportions that the oppression of the
people could no longer be borne without
public protest.
For years the people have been APP
pealed to, but in vain, to exercise their
power to correct the dangerous and dis
honest tendency. but they did not get
their eyes open until the distress made
itself felt in almost every home through
out the country.
And now the question is, what are we
going to do about it?'
The administration of Mr. Taft is
going to institute legal proceedings
against the Beef Trust. Suppose legal
proceedings are instituted, will there be
any relief?
1t is very well known that the Beef
Trust was prosecuted once before and
the prosecution amounted to nothing, but
great expense to the government.
VIII the result be any different in this
case? We have very grave doubts about
it.
Even if some members of the Beef
Trust should be convicted and fined that
will not bring relief
There will still remain all Of the other
trusts, which are preying upon the people
by forcing them to pay high and exorbi-
taut prices for the necessaries of life.
1t has been well known for years by
the people that the trusts were compell-
ing them to pay nearly two prices
for almost everything that they had TO
Nr.s.ly and yet the people continued to
support the party and policy that made
the trusts possible.
A suit by the government here and
there against a man or a combination OF
individuals will not cure the evils from
which the people are suffering.
The only relief for the people is rad
ical remedy
The system of trusts must b e de
stroyed and to destroy the trust evil you
must destroy that which creates the
trust evil.
We will have to go to the root of the
evil. The tariff is the mother of trusts
and the only sure way to destroy the
offspring is to destroy the mother
Abolish the ubiquitous and dishonest
tariff and the trusts will Immediately dis
appear
But the tariff is more oppressive by
far than the trusts, because it reaches
everybody and everything, and is bur
den upon all Of the people except the
few for whose benefit the tariff is made
Let the government abolish the tariff
and The expenses of living will be less
than one-half Of what it is under the
present tariff.
Food IS only one part ofthe expense Of
living. for clothing costs more than food,
and the tariff makes the clothing of the
people cost about double what it would
be if we had no tariff.
The Republican party will not
and cannot abolish the tariff, because it
is owned and controlled by the tariff
barons. They are in fact, the Republi-
can party. Cannon and Aldrich are the
Republican party, practically, for Mr..
Taft has gone over to them entirely.
But the people can get relief if they
want it bad enough, by simply voting the
Republican party out Of power, and elect
a party which will abolish the tariff.
The former is in the hands of the peo-
pie, and the only question is whether
the people have been oppressed enough
to make them vote against further OPP
preston, and in their own interest," or
are they still blind enough to vote for
what they are told are the blessings Of
high protective tariff. Two prices for
food and two prices for clothes is forcible
and powerful argument, and it should
open the eyes OF the great masses of the
people, and if not now wait little
longer when the oppression is greater.
It is sure TO come.