Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1899-12-15

irresistible tendency to cooperation
both for capital and labor is admitted.
It is not denied that in many instances
they are benign. Of such the people do
not complain, though they are not
misled by the amusing pretence that
even these are purely philanthropic,
and conducted solely for the anchor
alton Of the condition of the poor. 1t
is only when they obtain exclusive con-
troll Of products designed for the benefit
of all, putting an end to competition.
destroying opportunity, reducing labor
to the condition Of involuntary servi-
tude, making the public the victims Of
popular execration.
What the people are determined to
crush, in whatever guise it may ambush
or under whatever name it may mas
querade, is monopoly, and if any man
or any party supposes they lack either
the inclination or the power, the mis-
take will be ultimately apparent, and
perhaps sooner than is anticipated.
At this moment there is a coal famine
in the United States, which is serious,
and may be acute. With sudden
cold wave would come suffering and
detriment to half the inhabitants of the
temperate zone. Railroads, factories,
electric light and power plants, the
palaces of merchants, the kitchens OF
laborers are on short allowance. With
out coal, civilization would be impos.
sible and society would disintegrate.
Billions of tons are stored in Natures
treasures. Thousands of workmen
wait to bring it to the surface, but the
supply falls far beneath the demand fol
this commodity, which is as necessary
to man as water, light or air.
Scarcity is followed by increase Of
price, though the cost remains the
same. As the mercury goes down. coal
goes up. From Peoria comes the an
nouncement that the Central Illinois
Soft Coal Association has decided in
conference to raise the price from 7
cents to Is cents, an increase Of more
than 100 per cent. This is the same as
sociation that kept Illinois in a state
Of civil war nearly all Summer to pre-.
vent miners from digging coal, in order
to rob the people at the approach of
winter by declaring that the supply
was not equal to the demand.
A few weeks ago the philanthropists
who have monopolized the production
Of window glass suddenly closed their
works, discharged 10000 laborers and
raised the price so per cent for the
benefit of the poor. In the past year
wire nails have been raised 200 per
cent with but slight increase in the
cost Of productidn. The impudent
falshood that trust and monopolies
cheaper products and benefit the con-
sumner is disproved by the fact that the
price Of wall paper, rubber goods, food
furniture, fence wire, agri-
cultural Implements, coal, glass and in
other commodities controll-
ed by these monsters have been arbi-
trarily increased for no cause except to
pay dividends on fictitious capital by
that make larceny respectable.
They create the scarcity which they
make the excuse for their extortions.
They destroy competition, which left
free would equalize demand and supply,
They deprive the young and poor of
equality of opportunity, which is the
underpinning of our political system.
They degrade labor by impairing its
independence. They are public enemies,
and their existence is reproach to
If any political econmist,
or interested shareholder, or party boss,
or time opportunist supposes that
American people do not understand
this issue and do not intend to deal
with these brigands. he is listening with
credulity to the whispers of fancy.
The history Of our race has been a
succession of such contests, which
have had but one result. We are peace
able, patient, long-suffering and slow to
anger. We have made incredible sacri-
fees for liberty regulated by law. We.
know what we want, and sooner or
later we always get it. We prefer
to ultimatums, but when it
was discovered in 1861 that the Con-
,titution was defective, the people
it with the sword
@ JOHN j. INGALLS,.
After spending three years in declar-
ng that there were no silver republi-
cans the administration organs are be-
ginning to wonder what the silver
will do in the coming
sHeavv sole leather has advanced is