Mexico Missouri message., 1900-08-23

ihe Invisible property escapes, the
possessors of visible property are
overtaxed in order to make up for the
evasion of those who possess invisible
property. But even when A property
tax is honestly collected upon all
FIRMS of property, real and personal,
IT Is not as fair tax as an income
tax. Property may be temporarily
unproductive. If farmer pays taxes
on his land, the tax goes on, even
though the crop may fail. If money
lender pays tax upon his money, his
security may fail, or there may be
default in the payment of the inter
est, while an income tax adjusts itself
TO the condition of the tax PAYERS.
being large when the income is large.
and small when the income is small"
THE TRUST EVIL.
My fellow-citizens, time forbids an
eNteI ded discussion of the great ques-
ton of trusts. Their evil effects are
almost everywhere apparent. The is
sue of competition against consolida-
tion is one fraught with tremendous
effects upon the happiness and pros
perity Of the great body of the peo-
lle. This is an era of consolidation
and concentration. the result IN part
of striking revolution in our indus
trial civilization due to the discoveries
of thepowers of steam and electricity,
and their application &c machinery. to-
gether with unwise legislation. The
steady tend of events under re-
publican legislation is in the
direction of powerful monoplies. Vt is
not possible, neither is il desirable, to
put a limit upon the inventive genius
OF our people. Invention has made it
possible to bring comfort and even
luNuries to the homes of the humblest.
and il the United States, by beneficent
legislation. should harness the mighty
forces of this civilization for the bene-
fl of all the people, there would be
but few monopolistic clouds upon the
sky of our domestic future. The spirit
of invention has lowered over the trou-
bled waters of human toll until the
transformation is the marvel of the
age. Invention has wrought nightly,
and enormously increased production
in every arena of enterprise. There
has been enlarged production on the
farms in the mines, in the manufac-
tories-whenever there is labor, and
there should also be a cheapening of
the output and CONSEQUENT increase of
cousGmption; thus increasing TIE en-
ployTent of labor. BY the aid of la
bor-saviDg machinery 600 hands in the
manufacture of agricultural nipple
ments can now do the work formerly
requiring 1900 men. In the manu-
facture of boots and shoes one hand
HOW does the work formerly requiring
five men; in the manufacture of car
pets One man CO now accomplish re-
suit which in other DAYS required ten
to twenty men; in spinning a like in
crease CT production is seen; and in
the great ind, stries of cotton. and
wooden goods. iron. steel, sawed lum-
Der, paper, flour and grist mills. it is
estimated that 517 ,2J9 Iersons with
the aid of machinery perform the la
bpr formerly requiring 15,4?5,093 per-
SOILS.
Mr.. W. c. Dodge, Il protectionist of
national reputation, and the author of
recent publication entitled, sour
Country; What il is, AMI what has
made It what il is" Senate Document
No. 49,. among ether things, says:
"But while in past years protection in
the fern of tariff was CT the utmost
Importance and assistance in building
up our manufacturing industries, il
must he apparent to every observing
person that protection in the form of
tariff is constt ntly becoming of less
importance to u.s." Continuing, he
says: "Now. how is il, and what is il,
that enables IN operative to-day to
produce so much more in less num-
brr of hours than he could thirty or
forty years ego? 1t is simply invention
the inventions embodied in the inn
proved machines. tools. processes and
appliances that our inventors are con-
stantly furnishing to our manufacture
ers." Again. he declares that this re-
markable increase manufactured
producis) has been largely, if not
inainly. due to our inventions, stimu-
lated ard fostersd by our patent sys-
tenn" Continuing further he says"
The cost of production has been in
that way (by labor-saving machinery
enormously decreased. One man with
the aid of machinery can oft tirces do
the work which il required ten men to
do without machinery. That has great
~ reduced the prices of such articles"
I could multiply quotations, but
have made sufficient number to es-
tabiish that labor-slYing machinery
enormously arguments production.
while at the same time it should
cheaper the output, increase the con-
sumption, open up new fields for la
lcr and give added employment TO la
lor. But for unwisc Legislation these
happy results would be as certain as
the course of the seasons OF the revo-
luton Of the Ith upon its axis.
Monopolies are essential to tie or
ganization of trusts; because they can
not exist in tie prrst nee of competi-
ton. 1t follows. the, efore logically
that trusts are the rich fruitage of
monopolies. One of the great writer's
OH political economy anticipated the
present condition of our ccrntry in the
terse statement that, where compe-
tition is not. monopoly is" Another
writer Of eminent ability declared with
the emphasis Of unanswerable logic
that where com bination is possible,
competition is impossible
Mr.. Chairman, it being Obvious that
trusts could not exist if there was
fair competition, the people mist as
certain the causes which prevent com
petition in order to make an intelli-
gent application of remedial Iegisla-
ton. 1t will not be denied that there
are certain trusts which are due to the
monopoly of natural advantages. The
Coal Trust is a notable ex-
ampIe - this character of 1Tust due
10 the ownership Nv ~ few iIniiv. dua.S
of the only l'i'h"ac.'e coal mines i:
the United States. There is another
KIND of trust due in ,Irrt 10 a monoPo
ly of natural advantages and in part
TO the advantages incident to on