The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1895-10-18
EQUITABLE, FINANCIAL, COMMERCIAL AND IN
DUsTRIAL SYSTEM.

exorbitant profits and concentrated wealth. We
submit that alter a system has had a fair trial for
a period OF more than two-thousand years. and
found deficient, any person that endeavors to
abolish it, is not open to the charge of being in
undue haste for a~change. We call the attention.
OF the reader that most Of the rem1unerative trades
and industries of our country are controlled
by trusts and combines who have DESTROYED COM
petition and demand exorbitant profits. There
has been two plans purposed and applied in
many instances to prevent these extortions, one to
restrict the power OF combines by law; the other
Tor the government to own and operate said bus
mess. Experience has proved that trusts and
combines are impossible to control as by the un-
%scrupulo1ps use of wealth and position, they induce
legislatures to pass laws for their benefit, and in
Huence courts to decide in their favor, by bribery
and threats OF dismissal compel laborers to support
plutocracy at the polls. Hence this system adopts
the plan of government ownership as the only
practical method and I propose to give an elab-
crate review of its application to many industries
in another part of this work; especial attention of
the reader is directed to the Nation Union Co..
which intends to place a store in every county Of
the union and has many already established: the
object is to unite the entire wholesale and retail
trade of the United States in one firm of private
individuals; this when completed will be the most
oppressive trust of all. The speedy adoption Of
the foregoing system is the only possible way Of
preventing it's consutnatio1 and the annlhilation of
those already formed. The government doing the
wholesale business would abolish many Offices of
the statistical bureau and would furnish law
makers With many facts and much information IN
framing laws for pnblc benefit and by suitable
storeroonns could retain surplus products as a
preventative against famine the need Of which
will be imperative when our country has a dense
population, which promises to be within the next
century. It would give to labor its just reward
as the legislative bodies and officers who have the
power of fixing the price Of products would have
ito investigate the amount OF labor required to
produce an article and state the amount of profit
it should bring and would be held strictly account
table for their acts by their constituents, and
would prevent much crime and vice by removing
the necessity or incentive for it, also would pre-
vent a. kiaation of retailers in any community
as sew antilles could combine III buying many
things re a family does not need an entire
PACKAGE I'D purchase at county store. 1t
would dr{M the population Of large cities to the
smaller towns, thereby bringing producer and
consunh .p1oser together and reduce the fabulous
and artificial price of real estate IN the present
commercial centers by cutting off the enormous
profits made in commercial transactions. The
new system might be properly called reciprocity
between counties and states, all communities have
the right to establish factories they would manu-
~facture their crude products into finished articles
and save much freight every article would be IN
spected and tabled as to quantity, quality and
price by government purchaser, which must not
be removed except by the consumer. This would