The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1912-08-08

h'S II. Oui OWu cledF COnVlCtlO
as Democrats is, thai in the last an
aiysls the only safe and legitimat
! OBJECT OF tarl1f duties, as of taxes O
every other KIND, is to raise reyenu
ior the support of the government
put mat is not my present point
we denounce the Payne-A. drich tar
III act as the most conspicuous ex
:, ample ever afforded the country O
the special 1aVors and monopolisti
advantages which the leaders of tn,
Republican party have so Otter
SHOWN themselves willing to extern,
TO those TO whom they looked TO
campaign contributions. Tariff du
ties, as they have employed them
nave not been a means of setting III
an equitable system of protection
lhey nave been, on the contrary. {
method of fostering special privilege
lhey have made it easy to establish
monopoly i'll Il domestic markets
Trusts have owed their origin ant
their secure power to them. The
economic freedom of our people, GU,
prosperity in trade, untrammeleG
energy IN manufacture depend upon
their reconsideration from top TO bot.
tom in an entirely different spirit.
Will Consider Business
I'VE do not ignore the fact that
the business OF a country like ours is
exceedingly sensitiye to changes in
legislation of this kind. 1t has beer
built up, however ill-advisedly, upon
tariff schedules written in the wav |
have indicated, and it's foundations
must not be too radically or too sud
denly disturbed. When we act we
should act with caution and prudence
Ike men who know what thew are
about, and not like those who are in
with a theory. 1t is obvious thai the
changes we make should be made only
at such a rate and in such a way as
VIII least inerfere with the normal
and healthful course of commerce
II manufacture. Butawe shall not
on that account act with timidity, SO
III We did not know our own minds.
for we are certain of our ground and
of u object. There should be an
immediate revision and it should be
downward, u~nhesitatingly and stead
lily downward. aqrla9 lAilaset
ut should begin with the schedul-
es which have been most obviously
used to kill competition and to raise
prices in the United States, arbitrar-
lily and without regard to the prices
pertaining elsewhere in the markets
OF the world; and it should. before
it is finished OF intermitted, be ex-
tended to every item in every sched-
ule which affords any opportunity
tor monopoly, for special ADVANTAGE
to limited groups of b~eneiciaries. or
Tor subsidized control of any kind in
the markets or the enterprises of the
country; until special favors of ev-
cry sort shall have been absolutely
Withdrawn and every part of our
laws of taxation shall have been
transformed from a system of gov
ernnlental patronage into a system of
Just and reasonable charges which
fall where they Will create the
least burden. When we shall have
uone that, We can fix questions of re-
venue and of busin SIS adjustment
IN a new spirit and with clear minds.
we shait then be partners with all
the business men of the country, and
a DAY or freer, more stable
ity shall have dawned.
Moreover we begin to perceive
some things about the movemen of
prices that begin to concern us very
deeply, and fix our attention upon
the tariff schedules with a more de-
mite determination than ever to get
to h bottom of the matter. We
nave been looking into it. at trials
held. under the Sherman act and in
investigations in the committee
rooms OF congress. where men who
wanted to know the real facts have
been busy with inquiry; and we be-
gin to see very clearly what at least
some of the methods are by which
prices are fixed. We know that they
are not fixed by competitions of the
market, or by the ancient law of sup-I
ply and demand which is to be found
stated in ali the primers of econom-
les but by private arrangements with
regard to what the supply should be
ana agreements among the producers
themselves. Those who buy are NOT
represented by counsel. The
nigh cost of living is arranged by pri-
waite understanding.
W. naturally ask ourselves. how
did these gentlemen get control of
these things? Who handed our eco
llomlc laws over to them for legisla-
tive or contractual alteration? Wel
nave in these disclousers still another
view of the tariff Still another proof
mat not the people of THE United
but only aiVery small number
of them have been partners in that,
legislation. Those few have learn
now to control tariff legislation.
md as they have perfected their con.t
rol they have consolidated their, in
INTO
Not Blaming Anybody, ia ~
Men of the same interest have
together, have united their en-
erprlses and have formed trusts.
trusts a control prices. Up to a
eftaln point (and only up to a GER
am point) great combinations effect 5
economies in administration. i
ma increase efficiency by simplifying !
no perfectlng organization; but. /
neither they effect economies or not.
hey can very easily determine prices {
y intimate agreement, so soon as t
aey come to control a sufficient per t
entase of the product in any great i
ne OF business; and we now know c
hat they do. Il
II am not drawing up an indicr- a
lent against anybody. This is the v
aturaI history of such tariffs SO arc Il