Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-10-05

mendous Importance is not merely con-
coded but insisted on. Men who are not
willing to make such IN issue paramount
have no possible justification for raising
it at all, for under such circumstances
their act cannot under any conceivable
circumstances do aught but grave harm.
Gold Basis Must Stand.
The success of the party representing
the principles embodied in the Kansas
City platform would bring about the de-
strnction of all the conditions necessary
to the continuance of III prosperity. 1t
would also unsettle our whole govern
mental system, and would therefore dis
arrange all the vast and delicate machin-
cry of our complex industrial life. Above
all. the effect would be ruinous to our
finances. If we are to prosper, the cur
rency of this country must be based up
on the gold dollar worth 100 cents.
The stability of our currency has been
greatly increased by the excellent fnan-
cial act passed by the last Congress.
But no law can secure our finances
against the effect of unwise and disas-
trOus management in the hands of UNI
friendly administrators. No party can
safely be intrusted with the management
VI Jul hutio1dl uIlulES uulGSS IL dCCeUIS
as automatic the truths recognized in all
progressive countries as essential to n
sound and proper system of finance. In
their essence these must be the same for
all great civilized peoples.
Vital Question for wage-Earners.
In different stages of development diff
fercnt countries face varying economic
conditions. but ut every stage and under
all circumstances the most important Gle
ment in securing their economic well-be-
ing is sound finance. honest money. So
intimate is the connection between indus
trial prosperity and a sound currency
that the former is jeopardizcd not mere
ly by unsdund finance. but by the very
threat of unsound finance.
The business man and the farmer are
vitality Interested in this question; but no
mans interest is so great as that of the
wage-worker. A deprecated currency
means loss and disaster to the business
man; but it means grim suffering to the
wage-worker. The capitalist will lose
much of his capital and will suffer wear
ing anxiety and the loss of many COM
forts: but the wage-worker who loses his
wages must suffer and see his wife and
children suffer for the actual necessities
of life. The one absolutely vital need
of our whole industrial system Is sound
money.
One of the serious problems with which
we are confronted under the conditions
of our modern industrial civilization is
that presented by the great business com.
binations which are generally known UNI
der the name of trusts.
The problem is an exceedingly difficult
one and the difficulty is immensely ag-
gravated both by honest but wrong
headed attacks on our whole industrial
system i'll the effort to remove some of
the evils connected with it, and by the
mischievous advice of men who either
think %crookedly or who advance remedies
knowing them to be ineffective, but deem
ing that they may, by %darkening coun-
sci, achieve for themselves u spurious
reputation for wisdom.
No good whatever is subservcd by in
discriminate denunciation of corporations
generally and Of all forms of industrial
combination in particular; and when this
public denunciation is accompanied by
private membership in the great corpora
lions denounced. the effect is, of course.
to give an air of insincerity to the whole
movement. Nevertheless, there are real
abuses. and there is ample reason for
striving to remedy these abuses. A crude
or ~in-considered effort to remedy them
would either be absolutely without effect
or else would simply do damage.
Plan for Federal Interference.
The first thing to do is to find out the
facts; and for this purpose publicity as
to capitalization, profits and al else of
Importance to the public, is the most USE
full measure. The mere fact Of this pub
licity would in itself remedy certain evils,
and, as to the others, it would in some
cases point out the remedies, and would
at least enable us to tell whether or not
certain proposed remedies would be USE
full. The State acting in its collective ca
pacity would thus first find out the facts
and then be able to take such measures
us wisdom dictated. Much can be done
by taxation. Even more can be done by
regulation, by close supervision and the
unsparing excision of all unhealthy, de-
| ~structive and an~ti-social elements.
The separate State governments can
! do q great deal: and where they decline
to cooperate the national government
must step in.
How He Deals with Expansion.
While paying heed to the necessity Of
keeping ouH house in order at home, the
American people cannot, il they wish to
retain their self-respect, refrain from
doing their duty as a great nation in the
world.
The history of the nation is in large
part the history Of the nations expan-
sion. When the first continental con-
gress met in Liberty Hall and the thir-
teen original States declared themselves
a nation, the westward limit of the coun-
try was marked by the Allegheny noun
tains. Even during the revolutionary
war the work Of expansion went on. Ken
lucky, Tennessee and the great North
west, then known as the Illinois country,
were conquered from our white and In