New-York tribune., 1912-02-09
Revenue Only Excuse for Tax,

ABROAD az q nlOUt AT II price l'Ntl 'iloi -
eXscted in this country.
Revenue Only Excuse for Tax,
And We must stand 10 this further prn-
cipIa. namely that, except for revenue
only there is no excuse at all Tor tdIlL
tax on imported articles which, trUm pc
culiarties Of soil or cline, or any other
special and abiding cause, we cannot pro-
duce at all or cannot produce enough ot
them for our consumption. II our lands
sro GENERALLY OF so high a grade, for in
stance that they arc pUt 10 more QICllI-
able use than sheep raising. and therefore
We do not and in the nature OF thlnss ,, WI, VII
nor produce wool enough for our own use
then there should be no tarin on WOOL uh-
less out Of necessity for revenue AND go on
all down the list.
The question should be submitted TO
the enlightened judgment Of the coun-
try. Mayor Gaynor said, as he felt he
was not mistaken I'm the assumption that
public opinion on the subject had grown
10 be stronger than mere party opinion.
He quoted from the speech of Presi-
dent Mckinley, delivered at the Buffalo
Exposition Immediately before his assas-
snation. to show he said, how President
Mckinley saw pIainly that the gathering
sentiment Of the nation would not pui
UP any longer with a protective tariff
which went beyond protection 10 Ameri-
can wages.
Public sentiment Is now ripe for tn"
change" the Mayor said. Let MS NOT
disappoint il. Let US go with It. l d.
not say lct US lead it. Enlightened pub
lie opinion i'm this country is such that
the statesman docs enough who diyines
II
Turning to the subject Of high prices,
the Mayor said of course a protective
tariff raised prices. That was its object.
he said. hut in Wow Of the complaint
about present high prices II should m
justice be pointed out that our tariff was
not wholly responsible FOR that coudi-
tion. The rise in prices since 1S96, he
said had been general in Europe as well
as here. and the cause, whatever 1t
might be. was world wide
Mayor Gaynor then took up tho ques
tion of the trusts and prices. He do
scrihcd the legal history II tho trusts
and the first dissoutions achieved under
the law Of the Sugar and Standard Oil
trusts on tho simple ground that cor
porations could not become Copartnors
\ with each other or unite i'm any way for
\ business purposes But straightway. No
said, the state Of. New Jersey passed
statute enabling corporations 10 unite
and become business unit by means "f
tho so-callcd holding company. In this
way the STANDARD Oil companies and
the Sugar companies werc again massod
as business unit, Tho Mayor said. and
added.
Somo other states passed law similar 10
That Of New Jersey. But four-nfths OF thu
trusts OF thi. country, ar" organized and
eSist under this New jersey statute. You
bir'ad' p'r"oN" what ] am coming at
rauelN. how easy ~ Is to get rid ~ tho
trusts n NO want 10. II Is only uocogSar,
90 repeal that New Jersey statute. aud
the similar statutes which Wcro passed i'm
som" of tho other states Tho OutCrv
loud Over iu New Jersey as snyWher" else
IN th' country. That being 50. why is IL
that tnat NV Jersey statute has not been
repealed before this Why + II that no
ono in Office or out Of office over i'm Sew
Jersey has asked tho New Jersey IegiS-
lsturc 70 repeal it2 No Governor has sent
message t",the Legislature" Of any state
which ha~ this StHut" calling for its re
peal 50 FAR as !. nave heard From which
some pcop'" might dcducc that the cry
against the trusts - wholly insinccT".
Sine thcN can %" abolished so easily. DO
YOU not think tina, they ought 10 be- or
else that those that fail to even try to re-
peal them should stop crying ont against
them ~ tho top Of their voices? W" must
not lay ourselves open to tho charge of
being mere dcmagogUcs. II tn" people
want the trusts broken up or prevented
they need only to elect governors and leg
islators who win carry out their Will
Eut the trusts could govern prices to
limited extent only, the Mayor said, as
economic laws were stronger than the
trusts The large production Of gold was
q further reason for the rise in prices,
ne said. but will the time when the con-
traction Of gold begins 20 have its
natural effect and prices begin to fab
not be considered period of hard times?
Many people still live, he added, who had
gone through such a period, and knew
the hard times brought 10y low and fall
ing prices.
Senator Culbcrson spoke also about the
tariff problem He said the tariff IN the
abstract. as form Of taxation, was alb
solutely indefensiblc, but did not say
that his position was one in favor Of free
trade.