New Ulm review., 1900-09-26
DELIVERED fit ST. LOUIS.
SEPTEMBER Is, 1900.

wheat, is more Influenced than any other
farm product by foreign conditions.
Advance In Merchandise.
When, however the farmer attempts to
use his income in the purchase Of the ne
cessaries OF life he finds that the trusts
have raised prices. He must pay more
Tor lumber, nails, wire, harness, hardware,
stoves and agricultural implements. More,
also for oil, sugar, clothing, furniture,
etc, and in addition to these drains upon
ms income he must meet an increase In
federal taxation
Let the parent calculate how long it
VIII take farmer to become independent
under present conditions; let him con-
tfast the lot of the farmer with the lot
OF the man who profits by governmental
Aavorlt1sm and grows; rtch by the exploit
alton Of his countrynlen through the in
strumenta1ty of monopoly, and then
let MIN answer the question, us the
young man. Absalom, safe? Has the
farmers son, or the farmer himself any
reason Tor giving support to the Re-
publican party?
Next to the farmer in point Of num-
oers and Importance come the wage-earn-
ers. what is the trust doing to increase
tne u wages, shorten the hours, improve
.he condltlon, or protect the rights of
the laboring man? Is his present prospect
an inviting one? Is he receiving a fair
snare or the proceeds of his toll? And. If
not, why not? Republicans assert that
the working man has a Full Dinner
pail. ask, in the first place, whether
a tuil dinner pail is all that a laboring
man needs? It is an insult to the wage
Garner to say that his thoughts are en-
tlreiy centered upon his physical wants.
ttepup!lcan speakers and editors assume
anat ti the laboring man is all stomach.
Iney act upon the theory that he COM
plalns only when he is hungry, and is
iiappy whenever his hunger is appeased.
The Full Dinner Pail.
If full dinner pail were the only thing
desired. and it every laboring man had
plenty to eat, it would still be necessary
lot the Republican party to show some
connection between Republican policies
and the laboring mans food supply If
DountlIul crops come to the farmer he
does not thank a Republican administra-
tlon. 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
unprom1sed increase in the gold supply
gives any respite from financial string
ency can the Republican party claim
credit? The question is not whether
nne rne daporlng man is able to exist under
present conditions, but whether he is en-
ooy1ng his share of the blessings of the
country and of the protection of the gov
ernment. Compare the laboring man
with the trust magnate, and see which
1ares the best at the hands of the Re-
puDllcan party. Enquire also whether
the laboring mans income has increased
as rapidly as his living expenses
But even If every laboring man was
prosperous and even if that prosperity
could be traced to Republican legislation,
still the laborlng man is a citizen, and
must look at political questions from the
citizens standpoint He cannot afford
fl1t1, ,rit l,@
not afford to sleep while his industrial
independence is being destroyed. Neither
can ne be enticed into an imperialistic
trap, no matter how well the trap may
be bated with food.
During the last campaign laboring men
were threatened with idleness by en-
ployers who desired to coerce them into
the support of the Republican ticket
Many or them were told not to return to
work unless the Republicans We're sue
cesstul at the polls. After the election
some of these employers closed down their
shops and others reduced wages. If ad-
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 1895.
A firm in the City Of Washington an
nounced shortly before the election in
1896 that 1t would not be able to continue
in business if I was elected 1t went
into bankruptcy Immediately after elec-
ton Notwithstanding the fact that it's
candidate was successful at the polls
There are indications that this attempt at
intimidation may be resorted to again
this fall. If business man feels justi-
he'd In holding out the prospect of his
own bankruptcy in order to influence
voters he cannot complain if his credit
thair
before the election in order to avoid a
possible loss.
The Chicago-Times Herald Of Septem-
ber contained a special dispatch from
indianapolis setting forth the complaint
made by the anthracite coal miners In
the dispatch I read the following state
ment made by one of the miners: 1T is
merely a 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
to have been furnished by a member of
the national board of the United Mine
Workers of America viz: Average daily
wages received by miners, s1.35: average
wage of day men at mines, 80 cents" And
IN the statement to the public giving his
dent Mitchell 10, Of the United Mine Work
ers says: The average wages of the
hnthracite hnth miners fer fS6 many years has
the parent calculate the annual income
of miner, and figure out, if he can.
how the miner 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 a mouopoly
secures much.
All Monopolies Are Bad.
Those who attempt to divide prtvate
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 he
With all the advancement in civilization
man is 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. Publicitv
is good, but publicity alone is not sniff
cient. The practices of the trusts must
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 that such a law
would protect the people from much Of
the extortion which is practiced under
of hipl, far{ff low, -.