Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1900-09-27
DELIVERED FIT ST. LOUIS. \
SEPTEMBER Is, 1900.

iarm product Dy Foreign condluonS-
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
for lumber, nails, wire, harness. hardware,
stoves and agricultural implements. More,
also for oil, sugar, clothing, furniture,
etc, and in addition to these drains upon
his income he must meet an increase in
federal taxation.
Let the parent calculate how long 1t
VIII take farmer to become Independent
under present conditions; let him con-
trast the lot of the farmer with the lot
OF the man who profits by governmental
fayoritism and grows rich by the exploit
alton OF his countrymen through the In
strumentality of monopoly, and then
let him answer the question, rs the
young man, Absalom, safe? Has the
farmers son, or 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
the wages. shorten the hours, improve
the condition, or protect the rights OF
the laboring man? Is his present prospect
an inviting one? Is he receiving a fair
share OF the proceeds of his toll? And. II
not, why not? Republicans assert that
the working man has q Full Dinner
full dinner pail is all that a laboring
man needs? 1t is an insult to the wage
Garner to say that his thoughts are en-
tirely centered upon his physical wants.
Republican speaker and editors assume
that the laboring 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 a full dinner pail were the only thing
desired, and If every Iaboring man had
plenty to eat, it would still be necessary
for the Republican party to show some
connection between Republican policies
and the laboring mans food supply. II
bountiful crops come to the farmer he
does not thank a Republican administra-
ton. If famine abroad raises the price
or 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
eminent. 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
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 laboring man is a citizen, and
must look at political questions from the
citizens standpoint He cannot afford
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 laboring men
were threatened with idleness by en-
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 1896.
| A firm in the City of Washington an
| nounced shortly before the election in
| 1896 that it would not be able to continue
! in business if I was elected. 1t went
| into bankruptcy Immediately after cleo
| ton Notwithstanding the fact that it's
CaIOlQdI0 was successful at the Dolls.
| There are indications that this attempt at
| intimidation may be resorted to again
| this fall. If a business man feels juSti-
! fed in holding out the prospect of his
own bankruptcy in order to influence
voters he cannot complain If his credit
| ors take steps to collect their accounts
| before the election in order to avoid a
possible loss.
The Chicago-Times Herald of Septem-
Der contained a 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: lit 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
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, $1.S5; average
in the statement to the public giving his
reasons for calling out the miners, Presi-
dent Mitchell of the United Mine Work.
ers says: THE average wages of the
anthracite miners for many years has
been less than $3.50 annually" Let
the parent calculate the annual income
of a 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 monopoly
secures SO much.
Ali Monopolies Are Bad.
Those who attempt to divide private
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 be-
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. Publicity
is good, but publicity alone is not sufIi-
cient. The practices of the trusts must
not only be made known, they must be.
prevented. The Democratic platform
contains 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
cover of high tariff laws. II a tariff
5,,+xy excludes the foreign pr0dI1ct xzbfIa