The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-09

oath, that he will, when so requested by said
commissioner, give the said commissioner full
and true answers to such questions as may be
put to him regarding the prices, terms and con
ditons, of any sales he the said Richard Blank
may have made and that he will also give said
commissioner, when requested, any information
he may have, relating to the terms and condl-
tons of any sales made by others: and the SAID
Richard Blank further agrees that he shall be DIS
missed from TIE service of his employer If he
fails to observe any of the provisions OF this in
strument.
Without attempting any reflection on the wis
dom OF Congress in imposing and perpetuatlng
protective tariff it is but fair to state that, in
this instance. at least, such protection Is re
sponsible Once upon time, all the American
manufacturers of wallpaper were engaged in in
dividual competition, At that time the tariff
was not matter of consequence, as home com
petition placed the foreign article on an I'M
equal footing. There came time however
when Chicago firm secured rates OF
freight from Liverpool to that city as low
as could be secured from New York. Then
it was discovered that the leading establishments
manufacturing abroad were under contract with
the said Chicago firm to sell goods to no other
house in this country. The Chicago firm estab-
fshed agents all over the United States, and
scattered the foreign product broadcast, COMPEL
ing the maintenance of a reasonable equilibrium
of prices of both the foreign and home product
The result was the general dissatisfaction OF
of the present monopoly. Although the Chicago
firm had sufficient influence with legislation to
keep down the tariff to 25 per cent, yet it had to
succumb to the scale of American prices under
the dictative rule of the omnipotent pool. 1t Is
now evident that nothing short of the abolition
of the tariff will break up the monopoly. Such
an abolition will enable dealers to sell the foreign
product exclusively at reasonable rates, until the
pool is compelled to reduce its prices and make
concessions. Not until then will American peo-
pie be rid of this dominating monopoly of its
wallpaper lords.
Comment by the Editor of the Continent.
The foregoing account of one of the great
voluntary combinations, which constitute them
selves monopoly in our American trade, will
no doubt be perused with surprise by many of
our readers It is one of the results of co-opera-
ton among capitalists which are in the main,
peculiar to our times The facilities for commu-
nication and the accurate knowledge of supply
and demand that our marvellous statistical en-
ginery put into the hands of producers and job
bers, make such combinations for the first time
in the worlds history possible 1t is hard to see
how the authors conclusion that this monopoly
is the result of protective tariff can be sus-
tanned There can be no doubt that such an or
ganization ought to be broken up. An oath
bound compact supported by fines and penalties,
which holds the dealer in its iron grasp with the
threat of ruin, moral and financial, for
ever hanging over his head, cannot
be other than unlawful and dangerous.
There does not appear to be any reason why the
same organization should not control the trade,
however, even if the tax upon the imported
article were repealed There would then be
very much less invention to induce the domestic
manufacturer to enter the field. and the existing
syndicate would only have to prohibit the sale
of the foreign article by those under their con-
troll to make prohibitory tariff even more effect
i've than the government could ever establish
1t is an embargo, laid not ON the ports of entry
but on the purse and throat of the importer
Even if were brave enough to defy their
power, and thrust his goods upon the market, he
would only find himself fool for his pains
When his capital and pluck had once opened the
way, Others would step in and enjoy the gains
thereby made possible.
Indeed it is quite likely that this monopoly
may have been at the outset merely defensive
movement among the manufacturers, who were
compelled to band together to avoid the ruinous
effects of foreign competition. Such, in fact, is
claimed TO be the case. 1t must not be supposed
either, that this is the only line of business in
which such combinations have been effected.
They are only the other side of trade-union-
ism. Being fewer in their constituent elements.
they are more easy to control and more difficult
to subvert In principle they are the same The
remedy for either is not clearly apparent, but
one cannot but regard this network of
oath bound conspirators to fix prices, regulate
trade and establish wages, as one of the most
dangerous characteristics OF our modern clVlllza-
ton.
If it is to go much further the idea of free
agency in the affairs of life will have to be aban
doned. Every man who wishes to buy or hire
will have to produce certificate from some self
styled commissioner that he has never coun-
tenanced the requirements of some association or
guild The butcher and baker and candle-stick
maker will each have to be assured that he has
never made a wry face at any exaction imposed
upon him The retail merchant will have to de
mand written oath from. his customer that
he has never, in any business or under any cir
cumstances violated the rules and requirements
of the combined dry goods or grocers trade,
never bought or sold quart of petroleum except
with leave and license of the STANDARD Oil Com
pany, nor papered his garnet with last years
dailies, to the contempt and injury of the wall
paper monopoly. In case of doubt the merchant
or laborer will at once telegraph to the Central
Bureau of Information to inquire whether the
name of the proposed customer is the black
list or not; and in case it is. he will only be
served on the payment of such fine as may be
imposed by the central authorities This may
seem fancifu; but we have not so much further
to go in the art of immoral and oppressive com
bnations. If it is to progress, as it has done in
the past, the boy may already be born who shall
live to see this jest an actually realized fact.
General Harrison for President,