The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-02-13

mills tho markets Of the wcrld--that would
send the American flag AT the mastheau OF
our own merchant marine inso porss aIuh
tion. &.
that Amsrical, manufacturing industries
are 20 be deprived OF all beneht thareIroM,
Theoriae AZ we may, it would 6e inaposs.,
Bile to 10 levy il ON articles OF any KIND
manufaotursd ami 0onsumea bsour people.
II does, however, lulsoly that the putpose OF
tho lew nust be revenue. not proteotioh,
and it follows that itpshonld he go isiu an
to place tho burden Gt tue Tux ~ IMPOSES
on the shoulders Of thtAse p nesn' aol th w 5 5em.
trina would place upon the tree llst ~ A..
ticles Of prime necessitv., ~ Wouio NV
the burden OF taxation fla IN the shouldefa
Of tho toiling millions Of this nation. y
place it who're it belongs, on W. W shou1uss "
Of those who poasesa Its wealth..
lust and benetirent az would be tho re-
suit iii this respect it il. not from tnis
source that the chief advantage 70 nn
massea of our people would ce'n,e. IAs
| United States to-day is in its sErlcM ltu,ai AZ
vansages the Egypt OF ths whole " 1r!a. ~
to supply a constantly increasing aeEcll IN
the markets of tho most populous coun-
tries of the eastern Hemisphere.
Nearly rs many OF our people arc engaged
in this ono industry as in all others cou:-
bined. 1t is from the products OF their
labor that three-fourths of that vast vol
ume OF our foreign exports have come .Nlat
has developed our trade with the countries
81 the world and enriched us a. q nation
moro rapidly than any other that over OK
listed.
10 them, if they are not to be enslaved
by laws that foster other industries at the
expense of their own, open markets IN the
great centors OF civilization ars a necessity
not those of the undsvSloped countries OF
the southern half of this hemisphere. and
islands OF the sea that produce moro agri-
cultural products than they consume, can
furnish vastly better markets for the pro
ducts OF our mills than our farms, but those
of the most populous countries OF the ola
world whose hungry millions are ready 70
take ali our surplus food productions az
necessities of lifs that they produce and We
must use. 1t is NO stinted concession OF
| right in the lesser markets Of the world
such a. SO. called reciprocity affords that
ought to satisfy these people. They nave
made the bulk of the wealth of this nation,
| but its laws havs turned the golden stream
from theirs to other bands. 1t is no unfair
| advantage of others that they ask or de-
serve.
Circumstances have ordained that the
| price of the products of their labor shall be
fixed by markets open to the competition OF
En6 VOIXu. M EUabuS0 VI oAA6N NAA SosASS
this condition. Simple justice demands
that SO far as the necessaries Of life are SON
cerned they should be permitted to buy II
marka ts where prices are fixed by ths same
| compo tition. Nor are the farmers Of TINS
nation the only class intensely interested
toll of any kind it is the browning question
in the whole list of economic problems
that We must soon settle one way or the
other as. the future policy of this govern
ment. Thirty years ago the wealth OF thus
nation was much more fairly distributed
than it iy to-day. Then one could almost
count upon his finger ends those who could
rightfully be termed ~millionaires. Now
| they arc numbered by thousands.
If conditions remain unchanged through
the life of another generation who can hx
the multiple that will foretsll their numbers
then? Can a few men absorb the wealth of
this nation and leave the masses independ-
emit? Do not let us be deceived. For every
immensely rich man there must from ne
oessity alone be many wretchedly poor. All
wealth is the product of labor. Great
fortunes simply represent the earnings OF
perform the labor requisite to produce
them They can only be acquired by an
individual through the aid of some process
that enables him to appropriate that which
many produce. What ia it that has changed
the current of the nations wealth and that
| ii OlI0CSluk ! u away llOAk IL l4aAy AAt -
hands of the few? Let us stop and hin
Thirty years ago q great necessity com
PEELED the levy among others OF an enor-
nous taNitf tax. This alone of all the bur
dsns the war imposed proved a financial
blessing to a single class. Everywhere be,
struggle was a gigantic, Unsuitable de-
stroyer of the wealth of hen. But in the
height of the storm. when the nation strug'
gled under the load it was compelled to
bear. that class grew rich. When peace
came it was securely intrenched in the
councils of the republic.
One by one most of the war taxes dlsap
peared. This remained, OF. if changed al
all, was changed in the interest of those
whose business profits it Increased. Al
first these men could not bring to their aie
the united strength of either of the great
political champions of the country. II
both were willing champions of the PEG
ple's righta- and in both. l regret to say
were those who, yielding to the influence
that wealth is always able to exert, joinet
hands to ~perpetuate in times of peace law
tina wero born of wars necessities alone.
The scene has changed. Upon one side
now arrayed the benefciaries of these awe
, and by allies more powerful than them
selves in the shape of trusts and combine
that these laws have made possible, and S
l strengthened they are in charge of the re
r publican party. They dictate its policy
! they control its action. If they maintai
t their position it does not follow tha4 thi
nation as a whole will cease to grow rict
8 We shall go on producing wealth as we hav
\ lone before. but a few will control it; man
t will be poor. Can we change the laws? Ca
9 we divide the many currents that are empty
f ing the wealth of this nation into the hand
of a few men and scatter their golden cor
[ tents among those who produce it! This
s the question of the hour.
In tho present status of political partie
9 there ia no power on earth that can accom-
plish this save and except ''the democrat
in 49," We must not falter. This ia til
issue and this alone will lead us to victor,
~-
THE MARKETS.