The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1900-09-27

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use his income in the purchase of the me-
cessaries of life he finds that the trusts
nave raised prices. He must pay more
LOT lumber. nails, wire, harness. hardware,
stoves and agricultural implements. More,
also Tor oil, sugar, clothing, furniture,
etc, and in addition to these drains upon
ms income he must meet an increase In
| federal taxation
Let the parent calculate how long 1t
WIN take farmer to become independent
. unuer present conditions; let him con.
.rast the lot of the farmer with the lot
oI tne man who profits by governmental
lavoriusm and grows rich by the exploit
ion n.ion OF MS countrymen through the In
Ms,rumentality M of monopoly, and then
let MIN answer the question, Is the
young man, Absalom, safe? Has the
farmers son, or the farmer himself any
reason FOR giving support to the Re
publican party?
Next to the farmer in point of num-
oers and Importance come the wage-earn-
ers. What is the trust doing to increase
.ne wages, shorten the hours, improve
.he condition, or protect the rights of
me laporing man? Is his present prospect
an inviting one? Is he receiving a fair
snare OF the proceeds of his toll? And, IL
not. why not? Republicans assert that
the working man has Full Dinner
pail. ask, In the first place, whether
fuii dinner pail is all that laboring
man needs? 1t is an insult to the wage
Garner TO say that his thoughts are en-
ureiy .centered upon his physical wants.
hepupncan speakers and editors assume
that the laboring man is all stomach
ihey act upon the theory that he COM
pialns only when he is hungry. and is
nappy whenever his hunger is appeased
The Full Dinner Pail.
II full dinner pail were the only thing
desired, and IL every laboring man had
plenty to eat, 1t would still be necessary
Tor the Republican party to show some
connection between Republican policies
ana the laboring mans food supply. If
Dountiful crops come to the farmer he
does not thank Republican administra-
ton. II famine abroad raises the price
OF farm products here the farmer does
not thank the Republican party for bring
ing the famine. If an unexpected and an
unprom1sed Increase in the gold supply
gives any respite from financial string
ency can the Republican party claim
credit! The question is not whether
the laboring man is able to exist under
present conditions. but whether he is en-
1oying his share of the blessings of tho
country and of the protection of the gov
ernment. Compare the laboring man
with the trust magnate, and see which
fares the best at the hands of the Re-
publican party. Enquire also whether
the laboring mans income has increased
as rapidly as his living expenses.
But even If every laboring man was
prosperous. and even If that prosperity
could be traced to Republican legislation,
still the laboring man Is a citizen, and
must look at political questions from the
citizens standpoint. He cannot afford
to barter away future security: he cam
not AFFORD to sleep while his industrial
independence is being destroyed. Neither
can he be enticed into an imperialistic
trap, no matter how well the trap may
be bated with food.
During the last campaign laboring men
were threatened with idleness by en-
ployers who desired to coerce them into
the support of the Republican ticket.
Many of them were told not to return to
work unless the Republicans were sue
cessful at the polls. After the election
some of these employers closed down their
shops and others reduced wages. If ad-
vances have been made in any branch of
industry since 1886 remember that some
advance was necessary to compensate for
the reductions which occurred after the
last election.
lI Coercion In 1896.
4 firm in the City of Washington an
nounced shortly before the election in
1886 that 1t would not be able to continue
In business If 1 was elected. 1t went
into bankruptcy Immediately after cleo
tion Notwithstanding the fact that it's
candidate was successful at the polls.
| There are indications that this attempt at
intimidation may be resorted to again
this fall. If a business man feels justi-
fled in holding out the prospect of his
own bankruptcy In order to influence
voters he cannot complain If his credit
ors take steps to collect their accounts
before the election in order to avoid a
possible loss.
The Chicago-Times Herald of Septem-
Der contained a special dispatch from
Indianapolis setting forth the complaint
made by the anthracite coal miners. In
the dispatch l read the following state
ment made by one of the miners: "It is
merely question whether the men would
starve to death at work or starve in idle
ness The dispatch also contains the
following figures in regard to wages, said
to have been furnished by member of
the national board of the United Mine
Workers of America, viz: Average daily
wages received by miners, s1.S5; average
wage OF day men at mines, 80 cents" And
IN the statement to the public giving his
dent Mitchell of the United Mine Work
ers says: The average wages of the
anthracite miners for for many years has
the parent calculate the annual income
of a miner, and figure out, If he can.
how the miner Is going to keep himself,
and support his family under present con-
ditions; and then let the parent ask him
self whether he is willing to have his
D. L
1t due to natural or to human laws that
the producer of wealth fares so poorly
while the man at the head of monopoly
secures so much.
ALI Monopolies Are Bad.
Those who attempt to divide private
monopolies into good monopolies and bad
monopolies will never make any progress
toward the overthrow of the trusts. There
is no good monopoly in private hands;
there never was, and never will be.
With all the advancement in civilization
man is still too selfish to be trusted with
the absolute control with that which his
fellows must have. The Republican party
has no remedy for the trusts. Publicity
is good, but publicity alone is not suffi-
Client. The practices of the trusts must
not only be made known. they must be
prevented. The Democratic platform
contains demand for legislation which
will place trust made articles on the free
list. There is no doubt that such a law
would protect the people from much of
the extortion which Is practiced under
cover of high tariff laws. IL tariff
duty excludes the foreign product while
domestic manufacturers combine to raise
the price of home product the American
citizen may be plundered here, while the
trust sells abroad in competition with the
world. 1t may not be out of place to
suggest that l introduced a bill eight
years ago providing for this remedy but
we are not willing to stop at one remedy,