People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1892-07-15
TARIFF REFORM NO REMEDY.
Land Finance and transportation the Is
SueS-The Tariff L. Not In ~

sues-The Tariff Is Not In 1t
An Indiana republican calls upon the
indianapolis Journal for facts to put
down those peoples party men who
point, as he says, to the tariff for the
appearance of so many millionaires
The Journal replies that facts have no
more effect upon third party men than
"six-gun battery would have upon a
fog bank or battalion of ghosts. {"
Permit us to say that the peoples party
has taken no position on the tariff for
the reason that private fortunes are
being made to-day mainly by means of
trusts, combinations, the monopoly of
gold by Wall street spectators, and
the exploiting of freight transportation
by reckless money-makers
Take the Journals state, for instance,
where there are thirty-seven million.
aires. Eleven Of these men made their
money largely in real estate-that is,
BY gambling on the probable growth of
towns and sections. Eight became rich
as bankers, thanks to a theory of legis-
lation that places in the hands of few
the monopoly of issuing currency. Ten
made their money in railroading, as a
result of the reckless granting Of public
franchises to private parties. Others
have grown rich by gambling in stocks.
There are in New York city 1,157
millionaires, and the number will null
tiply whether we have protection or
free trade. Erastus Wiman, for in
stance, is tariff reformer. He sees
nothing in lower duties to limit the
scope Of his speculations. There would
remain to him Staten Island, where. by
railroading and real estate speculations,
he made pretty penny. He has won
handsomely also in telegraph deals,
and will doubtless repeat his successes
so long as the business of communica-
ton and transportation remains in the
hands Of private parties; and it will so
remain, we fear, until the peoples party
gets its growth. Mr.. Wiman is also
understood to have reaped another
fortune in the school book trust, the or
ganization of which threw hundreds of
small dealers into bankruptcy and
dashed many publishing houses upon
the rocks He is also a director
in the Western Union Telegraph
Co., and as such would fight
for either the republican or demo-
cratic party rather than see the peoples
party in power, commissioned to hand
the telegraph business over to the gov
eminent to be run by the people for the
people. What folly to talk tariff in
view of these monstrous perversions of
political economy expounded by the old
parties!
Take, again, Cornelius Vanderbilt.
If asked which he would prefer, a re-
duced tariff or the return of railroad
franchises to the public-how could he
make but one answer? He is president
Of the Canadian Southern and the Mich
igan Central railroad, director of the
New York Central & Hudson River rail-
road, the New York & Harlem, the
West Shore, the Dunkirk, Allegheny &
Pittsburgh, the Lake Shore & Michigan
Southern, the Chicago, St. Paul, Mime
apolis & Omaha, the Chicago & st.
Louis, and other railroads, as well as
director of the Mutual Gas Light, the
Union Trust and otherrpowerful compa-
MES Mr.. Vanderbilt is one of the
richest men in the world, made so by
the direct votes of the people, who fill
legislatures with men bent upon sur
rendering public franchises and fortify-
ing the positions of private trusts.
A reduction of the tariff would put
a premium upon still closer COM
binations. An increase of the tar
if would not disturb Vanderbilts
property in an appreciable degree. 1t
is within the range of probabilities to
say that Mr.. Vanderbilts various prop.
critics have been fortified by four hun
bred acts of legislatures He could
give, if required, 100000 for each act,
and then have enough money left to
make him sixty times millionaire.
Let no American voter turn the walls
Of his wrath upon the Vanderbilts and
Goulds and their associate millionaires.
These wealthymen have been chartered
by the easy-going public to make money
and they have exercised the privileges
conferred upon them by due process of
legislation. The Vanderbilts are
wealthy because the laborer, he farmer
and the average business man have
voted them wealth. The responsibility
must be traced to majority Of the
voters.
We have reached point in our his
tory where neither of the old parties
can give relief. Both organizations are
dominated by corporations. President
Harrison offers the state department to
Vanderbilt's salaried attorney, and if
Mr.. Cleveland were making a cabinet,
he would find at his elbow, Whitney,
Grace, and quite as pushing and sell
fish coterie of money makers
If the signs of the times are not mis-
leading, the American people are about
to revolutionize the theory of legisla-
ton They are upon the point of call
ing to power men who, like Ulysses,
find little stomach to
Mete and dole
Unequal laws unto a selfish race
That hoard and sleep and feed
men who will estimate a law by its
equal application to all classes and all
men. and who will he content with