The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1900-09-19

have raised prices. He must pay moro
Tor lumber. nails, wire, harness. hardware,
stoves and agricultural implements. More
also FOR oil. sugar. clothing, FURNITURE,
etc, and fin addition to these drains upon
ms income he must meet an increase IN
Let the parent calculate how long 1t
VIII take a farmer to become independent
under present conditions; let him con.
trast the lot of the farmer with the lot
OF me man who profits by Bovernmental
IaNoritlsm and grows rich by the eGplon-
strumentality of monopoly, and then
let him answer the question, lis the
young man. Absalom, safe? Has the
farmers son, the farmer himself any
reason for giving support to the Re-
publican party?
Next to the farmer in point of num-
bers and Importance come the wage-earn-
ers What is the trust doing to Increase
me wages. shorten the hours, Improve
me condition. or protect the rights OF
the laborlng man? Is his present prospect
an inviting one? Is he receiving a fair
share of the proceeds of his toll? And, IL
not. why not? Republicans assert That
the WORKING man has 'Ful Dinner
pail ask, In the first place, whether
Run dinner pail is all that II labor'nS
man needs7 1t is an insult to the wage
Garner to say that his thoughts are on
urely conferred upon his physical wants.
republican speakers and editors assume
that the laborinR man is all stomach.
They act upon the theory that he com
plains only when he is hungry, and is
happy whenever his hunger Is appeased.
The Full Dinner Pail
If full dinner pail We're the only thing
plenty TO eat, 1t would still be necessary
Tor the Republican party TO show some
connection between Republican policies
ana the laboriDg mans food supply. III
bountiful crops come to tho farmer he
does not thank Republican administra-
tion: If 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
unpromised 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-
joying his share of the blessings of the
country and of the protection of the gov
crnment. 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 laborlng mans Income has Increased
as rapidly as his living expenses.
But even II every lnboring man was
prosperous. and even II that prosperity
could be traced to Republican legislation.
still the laboring man 10 a citizen, and
must look at political questions from the
to barter away future security: he can
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 laborlng men
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 adj
vances have been made in any branch of
industry since 1896 remember that some
advance was necessary to compensate for
the reductions which occurred after the
last election.
CoerCIon in 1900
A firm in the City of Washington an
nounced shortly before the election in
1896 that 1T would not be able to continue
I'm business If 1 was elected. 1t went
into bankruptcy Immediately after cleo
ton Notwithstanding the fact that It's
candidate was successful at the polls.
There arc Indications that this attempt at
intimidation may be resorted to again
this fall. If n business man feels justi-
fed in holding out the prospect of his
own bankruptcy in order to influence
voters he cannot complain n his credit
ors take steps to collect their accounts
before the election in order to avoid n
possible loss.
The Chicago-Times Herald OF septem-
Der contained special dispatch from
indianapolis setting forth the complaint
made by the anthracite coal miners. In
the dispatch read the following state
ment made by one of the miners: 1T 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
the national beard OF the United Mine
Workers of America, viz: Average daily
wages received by miners, $l35; average
wage of day men at mines. 80 cents" And
in the statement to the public giving his
reasons for calling out the miners, Presi-
dent Mitchell of the United Mine Work
ers says; Tho average wages of the
beth d.s m RSn 2S saEs he9
the parent calculate the annual income
of n miner. and figure out. IL he can,
how the mineC 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
son take his chances with the miners. Is
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.
All Monopolles Arc bad.
Those who attempt to divide private
monopolies into good monopohes 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 ia 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 sufi-
not only be made known. they must he
prevented. The Democratic platform
contains "a demand for legislation which
will place trust made articles on the free
list. There is no doubt thar such "a law
would nCODIa from tpt,rh NJ