Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1899-07-07
Other and BETTER Ways.

Other and BETTER Ways.
The %free-trade element Is clamorinN
for the repeal of the protective tariff III
q method of stamping out trusts. There
is no doubt that the Introduction Of
free trade US VI national policy would.
stamp out many trusts; but 1t would.
stamp them out by stamping out the
industries Of the country. n there are
NO industries, there can be no indus
trial trusts. That's sure. And free
trade has proved itself a hustler in get.
ting rid of industries. But however
anxious the people of the country may
he to get rid of trusts. they are not like
" to be willing to get rid of them at
that cost. If a man has a boil on his
leg he can get rid of i, beyond a doubt,
by cutting Off his leg. But there are
other ways. The cutting of of the leg
would be the method approved of by
the free traders, If they would be con-
ststent. Kill the trusts, they say. by
killing the industries. Protectionists
prefer to keep the industries, and to
deal with the trusts in some other way.
The question is a complicated one,
aud will need for its satisfactory solu-
ton the broadcast craftsmanship and
the maximum of ability. That it will
be rightly solved in time there can be
Attle doubt. The American people
have a pretty good record for solving
difficult problems. Just what that So
luton will be the future alone can
show. 1t is safe to prophesy, however,
that the solution will not involve the
wholesale industrial ruin which would
be the inevitable result of an abandon
ment of the protective policy.
No Backward Step.
There has been a good deal of talk
about President McKinley's "back-
ward step" in the matter of civil ser
vice reform. The National Civil Ser
vice Reform League jumped before it
looked and quite q number of Repub-
lican newspapers Joined in the process
Of Interpreting the Presidents exemp-
tons as meaning the complete turning
over Of the appointments affected to
the "spoils' politicians. President Nc
Kinley's mere statement that the
changes e made for the increased
efficiency Of the government service
was not accepted and long strings Of
details e printed illustrating the al
legged evil effects of the new order.
Secretary Gage, who is admittedly q
consistent advocate of civil service re-
form, has deemed the misrepresenta-
tons of sufficient Importance to war
rant attention, and he has voluntarily
bestowed IL little upon them. The re-
suit Is an authorized statement from
Mr.. Gage that will be accepted by the
friends of civil service reform as
worthy Of more credence than the ir-
responsible criticisms. SO hastily voiced
by lightweight critics. Mr.. Cages
statement amounts to a categorical de-
NAL of every one of the accusations SO
brusQuely put forward by the civil ser
vice league and the papers which took
its say SO for gospel.-Sioux City Jour-
nal.
A Question Of Com PARSONS.
Nobody needs to he told that pros
perity is here. Every one knows that,
from having actual individual particle
patton in it. 1t is SO universal that it is
getting to be accepted quite as the na$-
ural order Of things, and interest be-
gins to center in u comparison between
our present prosperttyand that of other
years when q protective tariff policy
has been in effect. The Indications are
that the period of prosperity inaugu-
rated by the DinSley law is to be a rec
ord breaker. In many cases 1t has been
stated that the prosperity low being
enjoyed surpasses that of any other
period.
A recent instance of this sort is re-
ported from Connellsville, Pa, where
the 1900 men employed by the H. G.
Frick Coke Company have just been
most agreeably surprised by having
been informed that a general advance
of wages, ranging from 6 to 1917 per
cent, would take effect from May 4
The new scale, 1t is stated, will be the
highest ever paid in the Oonnellsyille
region.
This is the kind of news which we
may begin to expect now. The question
is not, care we prosperous?" but,
"How much more prosperous are we
than during any previous PERIODIC"
Political Orphans.
The Popocrats who are demanding
that silver be 'relegated to the rear
forget that such action would leave
the free silver Republicans entirelN
orphaned. OF course, a majority Of
them are Populists or Democrats, but
they wish to keep up their separate or
ganization in order that they may de-
mand q share of the offices. If there is
no chance for this kind of plumber they
may sulk in their tents or vote the Re-
publican ticket out of pure piQue. OF
course, this has no reference to the
large number Of Republicans who were
led temporarily astray by the sophistry
of "Codn," but regained their senses as
soon as the better times began to dawn,
These people are all back In the Re-
publican party at present, leaving no.