The Washington weekly post., 1900-09-18

prosperous. and even II that prosperity
could BE traced 10 Republican legislation,
stiii the lzborirg man Is 8 citizen. and
must look al political questions from the
-tstx<a's standpoint. He cannot afford 20
hpFtSr away future security. he cannot af-
ford % sleep while his Industrial lnde-
peg1eEce Is being destroyed Neither can
he be enticed into an imperiaiistic trap,
no matter how well the trap may be bait
Cd vith food.
During the last campaign Iaboring men
were threatened with i1leness By EMPLOY
ers who desired 10 c0erce them into tbs
support % the Republican ticket Many Of
them we're told not 10 return 10 work un-
less the Republicans were successful az
the polls After the election some OF these
Others reduced wages II advances have
been made in any branch OF industry since
1Ss6. remember that some advance was
necessary 10 compensate for the reduc-
tions which occurred after tie last elsc-
ton
Cscreien in 1899.
firm in the city Of Washington an
nounced shortly before the election in
iSsS that IL would not DC able to continue
in business If / were elected. Ii went
into bankruptcy Immediately after cleo
ton. Notwithstanding the fact that its
candidate was successful at the polls
There are indications that this attempt at
intimidation may be resortsd TO again
this fall. II a business man feels justified
In holding out the prospect OF his own
bankruptcy in order 10 influence voters. ne
cannot complain IL his creditors take
steps TO collect their accounts before the
election in order to avoid a possible loss.
The Chicago Times-H Herald OF Septem-
Der contained a special dispatch from
Indianapolis setting forth the complaint
made oy the anthracite coal miners. IN
the dispatch / read the following state
ment made by cae of the miners. 1t is
merely a question whether the men would
starYe to death at work or starve in idle
ness" The dispatch also contains the
following figures in regard 10 wages, said
10 have been furnished by a member Of
the national board OF the United Mine
Workers Of America, viz: Average daily
wages received by miners, A.35; average
wage OF day men al mines, 30 cents. Let
the parent calculate the annual income
of a miner, and figure out, il he can,
Row the miner is going 20 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 son
take his CHARGES with the miners PreSi-
dent Mitchell. of the United Mine Work
ers' Union. in a recent official statement
address ed 10 the American people on De-
half OF the mine WORKERS, says:
The average wages Of the anthracite
miners for many years has been less than
$50 annually"
Is 4 due TO natural or 10 human laws
that the producer OF wealth fares SO
poorly. while the man al the head OF a
monopoly secures so much?
All Monopoiies 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 fei-
lows must have. The Republican party
has no remedy foc the trusts. Publicity is
good, but publicity alone is not sufficient
The practices Of the trusts must not only
be made known, they must be prevented
The Democratic platform contains de-
mand ;cr legislation which will place
trust-made articles on the free list. There
is no doubt that such law would protect
the people from much OF the extoTtion
which s practiced under cover of high
tariff laws. II a tariff duty excludes the
foreign product, while domestic manafac-
tnrers combine to raise the price Of the
home product, the American citizen may
be plundered here, while the trust sells
abroad in competition with the world. IL
may not be out of place TO suggest that l
introduced q bill eight years ago provld-
ing for this remedy, out We are not will
ing TO stop at one remedy; we desire to
apply every remedy within the power Of
the State and Federal governments. Con-
gressional action is not necessary 10 de-
stroy d trust which confines its operations
to q single city or a single State Such a
trust can be eXterminated by State iegis-
lation. 1t is within the power of the State
to prescribe the conditions upon which
corporations shall be organized, and
these conditions should be such as to
make a private monopoly place IImita-
tons upon outside corporations doing
business within the State.
This, however, is not sufficient. Congress
must cooperate with the State in prevent
ing the organization OF any interstate
monopoly. Without impairing the present
of the State, Congress can pro-
vide tnat corporations organized in any
State shall not do business outside of the
State until certain necessary conditions
are complied with. If the people OF any
State are willing to create and continue
a monopoly. the people Of other States
need Zee no concern so lCng as the mo-
nopoly Is confined to the State in which
the corporation originates. But the mo-
iHent monopoly crosses the State line
and invades other States, Congress has a
right to and must interfere for the protee-
ton of the public at large If a corpora
ton organized in New Jersey. OF any
other state, were prohibited from engag ging
n interstate commerce until il produced
evidence to show that there was no water
In the stock, and that IL had not attempt
ed and was not attempting 10 mOnOpOliZe
any branch OF industry, its power 10 do
harm would at once be destroyed. An
honest corporation engaged in legitimate
business ought 10 join In the enactment
OF laws which will protect them and the
who commit larceny upon a grand scale.
Those who desire the annihi.ation Of the
trusts are not hostile 10 property rights
but they protest against allowing the
fictitious person created by law and call
ed corporation TO trample upon the
rights OF the natural man of flesh and
blood II the man-made corporation sup
ports the Republican party, We ought 10 |
be abe 10 appeal for support TO the Cod (
made man.
As TO Railroad Determinations.
The railroads have. by Determinations
md rebates, materially aided in building
Up nonopolies. At one time the Standard
Oil Company had contract with a rail-
-oad whereby 1t not only enjoyed lower
'ates than its competitors. but received a
'art OF the freight paid by its competitors.
rhe Interstate Commerce Commission has
repeatedly asked for legislation which
would empower The commission to protect
lie public. but the Republican party has
urned deaf ear 10 these appeals.
IL is generally assumed that the bankers
LTU po-ouerafe with fbA fFfsf- fy ,.,a-,,...