The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1895-05-15
Fl GREET LETTER.
HON. s. NJ. OWEN PRESENTS HIS
VIEWS.
The Power of Wealthy Combines
The Country Governed by
Dozen Men.
COMBINES AND POLITICS.

COMBINES AND POLITICS.
To the Editor:
The Butchers and Bakers Magazine,
st. Louis, for May, says:
1.-The results of our inquiries through
out the various cattle centers and advices
from reliable sources warrant the state
ment that there was a combination to adj
results. most powerful and effective one.
Having abundant proof of the conspiracy,
we next turned our search-lights in other
warranted advance.
1T is not pleasant to publish these facts.
measure our allies in trade. and we prefer
to dwell in peace, but duty to the retail
butchers and the general public outweighs
quiries show that the advance in beef pro-
ducts was conspiracy of the meat mag
mates in revenge for the refusal Of con-
beet sugar, and was participated in by the
leading dealers. The result of their secret
conferences was the obtaining Of optional
sary sections, and by holding back ship
ments to create an apparent shortage.
60 With the cattle industry Of the United
dozen men, such move was of easy &C
complishment by so powerful and inf1uen-
in beef products is the result of concerted
action by the dressed beef companies to
make the public pay for the sins of Con.
gress in their behalf. 1t is the revenge of
the meat trust on the sugar trust for which
the public is settling
The true inwardness of the foregoing
is seen in the revelation that the people
are absolutely and helplessly in the
hands of practically dozen men" in
all things PERTAINING to the buying and
selling ofsshS live stock and meat prod
ucts of the country: it reveals the awful
power the combine possesses and use,
and is proof positive thdt"Saen any one
of them feels inclined to dance the
people must pay the fiddler. The eA-,
tract quoted discloses power more
autocratic and despotic than that of
George III, and cruelty more heart
less than that Of Southern slave drivers,
both of which our progenitors had the
courage and intelligence to dispose of.
Feudal princes used to wage war to
break each others power or resist each
others encroachments, and it mattered
not to them how severe was the conse-
quent loss of life or property to the
common people. The feudal princes Of
the nineteenth century wage war of a
different kind, but with the same OBJ
ject in view, and they are quite as in
different to the fate of the common peo-
pie as were their old prototypes. 1t is
passing strange that this is called re-
public, government of, by and for the
people, when such organizations as the
Beef combine, the Sugar Trust, the
Standard Oil Co., the Railway Man
ayers Association ct al. are admins
tering the government in all it's depart
ments according to their own sweet
wills and bitter greed. The power of
these combines to mold the finances,
the commerce and the industries of the
country to their purpose finds it's pri-
NAL source in their political power.
They invade halls of legislature, execu-
tive Offices and courts, and in their
presence the rights and interests of the
people go down as grass before the
mower.
1t is my firm belief that the destruc-
ton of this political power, power as
antagonistic to the spirit of the repub-
lie as is that of Russia's Gear, should
become the chief object of present day
political reform. Let all that this i'm
plies be understood by the people, and
it will constitute the central thought
about which will crystalize a force so
mighty in numbers, so filled with en-
thusiasm, so inspired with old-time
patriotism that it will prove irresist-
able, and accomplish the holy work of
restoring to the people the political in
situations bequeathed to them by the
founders of the republic.
Destroying the political power of the
great aggregations of wealth that now
rule the country involves the destruc-
ton of the money monopoly, by restor-
ing silver to it's former place in the
worlds business affairs, and providing
for a larger volume of currency indie
pendent of banks; for the destruction
of commercial and transportation mo-
nopolies, by putting into the possession
of the government, as rapidly as car
be done in obedience to sound business
policy, sufficient railroad lines to give
it that control which all admit is essen
tial and necessary, but which 1egisla-
ton has failed to secure; for no trust
or confidence can last a month when
the prop of railroad discrimination is
taken from it, prop that will fall be-
| fore governmentownership, but will ever
get stronger and stronger under pri-
vate ownership. Without mentioning
land and other monopolies in this con-
| nection, it will be seen how broad and
comprehensive is the principle en-
braced in the declaration, OBSTRUCTION
of the political power of monopoly. ,
| This is not new platform, is no in
vention of mine, does not require the
surrender of single principle of the
Peoples party, is not in antagonism tt
the Omaha platform; it is, rather, my
Interpretation of that platform, and !
would simply like to see that document
| so rewarded that it would show to all
| at a glance that the destruction of the
political power of monopoly is what il
stands for, and always has stood for
l want to see an Interpretation given tt
the previously declared principles of the
Peoples party, and see such a concep
ton of them widely entertained, thai
will make a political party based upor
the contention for free silver" alone
seem, in contrast, weak and incense
Quential.
| In the impending conflict we shall neet
battle cry that will touch not alon,
the pockets, but the hearts, the country
love of the people. Free silver" ap
peals to the pocket only. Destroyins
the political power of monopoly in
wolves the destruction of the politica