Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1900-09-28

one of the most pathetic passages of the
Old Testament. The fact that the son
was In rebellion against civil as well as
parental authority did not Shake the Ia
theirs affection, and the anxious query:
t1s the young man. Absaiom,
Fingers in the memory OF all VINO s.uuy
the life OF the great Hebrew King. ana.
yet, the interest which David feit IN n.s
son. Absalom. has its parallel In the nno.
than 100000 families which make up
the American people
No language can describe l.Ot
love. oversta.e the abiding intere ~
which the father feels II. the Wehaie ~
his child. From the time when tne 49,.
Sr's life hangs in the balance at the 10y
birth until the death OF the parents LIZ.
is. scarcely a waking hour when tue Son
1s not present in their thoughts anu pian.
1t is to this parental devotlCn SO uii
.versally recognized. that desire to ap-
peal on this occasion.
APP Is.l TO IarentalDev
would call the attention OF every Ia
ther and mother to present politlcai CT
industrial conditions 1 would ASK tneln
their causes and their tendencies. -
would press upon them this question: Is
the young man. kbsalom, sa1e AIe
you atisfied with the possibilities ana the
probabilities which now open before your
son:
Is he safe when foreign or domestic
hnanciers are allowed to determine the
monetary system under which ne hves:
Is he safe when national banks control
the volume Of money with which ne does
business?
Is he safe when the bond holding class
determines the size of the national debt
upon which he must help to pay inter-
est?
Is he safe when by means of taxes laid
almost entirely upon consumption ne IS
compelled to contribute according TO MS
wants rather than according to his pos
sessions?
Is he safe when corporate. interests In
III how IN Tod
Of those who to represent him In the
Senate of the United States?
If he is wage-earner. and you 90 not
eiknow how soon he may be- even IL ne is
mot now. is he safe when he is liable
to be deprived of trial by jury. through
the system known as government by IN
Junction?
Is he safe. if laboring man. when he
rs denied the protection of arbitration and
compelled to submit to such hours and
terms as a corporate employer may pro-
pose?
The Reign of Monopoly.
But. I desire to call special attention to
the growth of the trusts. and to ask you
whether your son is safe under the reign
Il private monopoly? If you cannot leave
MIN q fortune, you can leave him some
thing more valuable than money. viz:
the freedom to employ his own brain
and his own hands for the advancement
OF his ewn welfare. When there is In
dustria1 independence. each citizen is
stimulated to earnest endeavor by the
hope of being able to profit by his own
genius. his own energy. his own Industry
and his own virtue But when private
monopoly reaches it's full development
each branch Of industry will be controlled
by one, or a few men, and the fruits or
monopoly. like the divine right of rule,
will be kept within the possession of a
few from generation to generation. while
the real producers of wealth win be con-
demned to perpetual clerkship or servi-
tCde. When private monopoly reaches Its
deVetOnmPnt
finished product at the price which mon
opoly, fixes: he will sell raw material at
the price which monopoly fixes: and, If
he works for wages. he will work for
such compensation and upon such con-
ditions monopoly may determine.
Charles r. Flint of the Rubber Goods
In Boston on the 25th of May. 1899. out
lined the trust program with great frank
ness. In speaking Of the advantages to
be derived from the trust system he said:
Outline of Trust Program.
ssRaw material bought in large guam
titles is secured at lower prices" When.
for instance, one man buys all the wool,
the price of wool will be lowered and all
who produce wool will sell at the price
fixed by the trust. large proportion
OF our people are engaged in the produc-
ton of various kinds of raw material. and
they are thus placed at the mercy of the
combinations.
The second advantage is that "those
plants which are best equipped and most
advantageously situated are. run continu-
ously and in preference to- those less IA
vored."
This means that factories can be closed
IN the smaller towns and business con-
centrated in the large centers. 1t means.
also. that whenever there is a surplus on
hand, part of the factories can be closed.
and the burden Of maintaining prices
thrown upon the wage workers. There
are already scattered throughout the
hand idle plants, which stand as silent
n
tenn.
The next advantage mentioned is that
-Tn case of local strikes and fires. the
work goes on elsewhere. thus preventing
serious loss"
This means that a monopoly can abso-
hutely control it's workngmen. for If a
strike occurs in a factory in one state.
the factory can be closed down indefinite
1y while the employees are starved into
submission. and, as the trust can do the
work In some other factory without seri-
Gus loss, 1t Is quite independent of the
employees, and can absolutely prescribe the
terms and conditions upon which they
shall live. The more complete the mon
opoly the more opposed the managers
will be to arbitration. because, in case
of any contest between the trust and its
.employes. the trust will have every adj
vantage and the employees Will be per-
kectly powerless.
Another advantage cited by Mr.. Flint
Il that There is no multiplication of the
means of distribution and a better force
tof statesmen will take the place of large
humber"
Drummers Dispensed with.
This is an intimation that under the
trust system the travelling salesman will
not be needed. When every retail mer-
chant must buy all goods OF one class
from a single company. the work can be
done by samples. and no travelling men
win be needed. There will be no COM
petition between different factories be-
cause all are under one management
The first man to feel this will be the
salesman, who will lose his occupation
The next man to feel it will be the hotel
tho