The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-25

O., Address in Which He Points Out the
Fact That the Monopolies, From Mere
Desire to Grasp More, are Showing Up
the Prices of Necessary Articles, While
the Gold Standard Men are Forcing
Down the Commodities of the Producer
Who Must Sell Low and Buy High.
Kansas City, March 24-The address
Of George H. English, Esq, before the
Aspasians Leage at Kansas City, No,
vas as follows:
There is a universal condition Of
hard times. 1t is not only rung in our
Ears, but is apparent TO our sight. We
rome in contact with it upon every
street corner. 1t is seen in the weary,
hungry faces we meet. 1t is felt in
the cherries, comfoptless home of the
unemployed. 1t visits US daily in the
form of the tramp at every kitchen
soor
Carroll D. Wright, the commissioner
Of labor, estimated that in 1893 there
were four millions Of men in this coun-
try who would work if they could, who
=
Der has certainly not diminished. 1t IS
estimated that there are usually three
persons dependent upon each laboring
man. This would make sixteen mil
lion, if not actually dependent, at least
nearly so, equal to nearly the entire
population of this country before 1894
But the other day one of the ministers
Of this city gave the number of tramps
In the United States at 1900, 000-desti-
tute, houseless and homeless. More
men than constituted the entire male
population that gained the independ-
ence Of this nation.
You need not look at the idle and I'M
employed alone. How fares 1t with
the farmer and the business man?
Farms mortgaged and being sold 10
the mortgage Cfor there are no other
bidders.) The small merchants and
manufacturers closed out by their
creditors or smothered out by corpora
ton or other aggregated capital
Where two decades, or even one, ago,
there was affiuence or at least comfort,
there is now distress If not actual want.
This condition began about twenty-five
years ago, and with a few temporary
periods of comparative relief, has been
intensified year after year. The sys-
TEN of our legislation has been such
thar the substance of the people has
been sucked away in the same manner
that the octopus sucks away the life,
flesh AMI blood of every living creature
20 which it attaches itself An illus
tration is found in the action of the
Standard Oil company, which within
the last few months placed such an in
crease upon its products that has been
equal TO one dollar per month upon
every laboring mans expenses in this
city, as well as in the whole Iand-yet
the cost Of production has not increas-
ed. The president of this corporation
has given three millions of dollars to
endow a college. How charitable
Railroads are public corporations
given special privileges because they
are such. They are by law required
10 carry freight and passenger be
cause that is their public duty. For
this they are entitled to just compensa-
ton. But this gives them no right to
rob the people they serve. Some years
ago the Missouri Pacific railroad was
put up and sold at public auction to the
highest bidder Jay Gould bought it
for seven million dollars. Assuming,
that as 1t was public institution, es-
tabliShed for public use, he was en-
titled to a reasonable income upon the
amount he paid, and should not have
been allowed more. He was not salts
fed with that. He Immediately reor-
ganized The corporation with capital
stock of fifty or sixty millionsI do
not recall the amount-and bonded
and mortgaged ii for thirty millions of
dollars. So that we, the people( who
are entitled to use this great thorough
fare for a reasonable compensation up
on an investment of seven millions of
dollars. are compelled to pay one hun
dred million of dollars-that is, make
the stock earn dividend and its bonds
their interest. Mr.. Gould endowed no
college-his endowment, as you remem-
Der, was reserved for the nobility of
the Old World.
A more intense object lesson was
again enacted in this city within the
past few months. We have here a
great aggregation OF wealth, enga ged
in the packing business. Without any
additional expense 10 the business, an
increase of three cents per pound was
placed by it on all dressed meats, and a
reduction of twenty cents per hundred
upon live stock Thus, for no cause
except through aYerice and greed at
one stroke the producer and the con-
sumner We're laid under a tribute TO this
combination Of wealth. The tribute
is not voluntarily paid-it is inexor-
able. SO strong is this combination it
could not be resisted. Thus was levy
Of at least one dollar per month laid
against every mans dinner plate in this
city. One of the heneficiaries made a
donation in Chicago of hundreds of
thousands of dollars to erect and main
tain g. charitable institution. On, or
about the same day that this levy was
made. there was given in charity by
one who Profited by this combination.
magnificent gift to the Orphans
Home OF this city-of twenty-five Thous-
and dollars. One months increased
profits alone contributed by the labor
ing men Of this city paid to that COM
binaIion many times the value of this
gift- I do not depreciate the gift, nor
disparaige the giver. Many a human
waif may be saved from the wolves by
this donation.
He does well who in forest wild.
Stays the beast and saves the child.
But he does better-he merits more.
Who drives the wolf from the poor
mans door"
These things are being done daily and
scarcely a voice raised against them.
This great robbery under our very eyes
has scarcely attracted attention. It
should have been considered. discussed.
anu condemned in every society. de-
nounced from the rostrum and thund-
cred against from every pulpit. These
ana al their kindred evils, should have
been considered and remedied by our
legislatures
What was done by this railroad COM
pany, by the Standard OIL company.
by these packing companies. has been
also done by the coffee. coal. sugar.
leather and kindred trurs. There are
few things that people need but what
they pay an unconscionable profit 20
some trust or other. So great IS this
aggregation Of capital through these
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