The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-09-21

From his early youth he had always
evfnced an Interest in politics. but it
was a quiet interest. He didn't go
much on getting into arguments. He
was always content to believe that the
Republicans were more right than the
Democrats, SO he voted a straight Re.
publican ticket every time.
John keeps small store in the sub
urbs of a large city. He sells grocer
les, oil, candies. stationery for the
school children and deals a little in
meat. especially in the winter time
when 1t is easier to keep meat than
In the summer.
John has noticed of late that his
profits amount practically to nothing,
stillhe does q fair amount of business:
he is steady and does not spend his
money extravagantly, tries to buy
pretty good things for his store. al
though he never buys very much and
he keeps things neat and clean about
his place.
A few months ago John got hold Of
q newspaper with some interesting
articles regarding the growth and de-
structiveness of the trusts. His bust
ness was quiet, he had nothing else to
read, so he glanced over the article.
Very soon he became interested and
read them very carefully. AS a result
he is in a predicament, is worried cons
siderably. He can no longer accept
the presentment of the Republican
side of the case as he used to. The
other day he read In a paper about the
great prosperity throughout the coun-
try, about the enormous amount of
goods shipped and bought by Uncle
Sam, Of the increased amount of busi-
ness being done and of the increase in
the amount Of money in circulation.
He does something now that he never
did before. He questions the truth Of
these statements. For instance, he
wants to know where the money goes.
He IL not making any; his friends In
business tell him that they are not
making any money. Some years ago
they used to make money and they
used to spend 1t literally, too, but now
they are forced to play close to the
cushion,
John is doing a little figuring now
all by himself and is doing consider
able thinking. He wonders why 1t ia
that he and his old friends, those he
knows in town, are not making any
money. He figures that there are
more people around town than there
were In the days when business was
good. He figures that they should eat
as much as ever. in fact should spend
about as much money as ever. But
do they? He answers himself by say
ing that he does not spend as much
money as he used to spend; he doesn't
get hold of it to spend. He figures
that what is true Of him is true OF
other people. The question. who gets
the money? is what he is trying to
figure out. He looks about the store
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Gu ny ITu6t0. 1uCIC . IN EVAlPoSASAOAs
He must buy from that n party or
not buy at all. They bull the price.
He has to pay a large sum for the
goods, but he cannot always charge a
large price. because the people won't
pay it, for what is equally as bad, they
can't pay it! What is the result? The
result is that the trusts make the nom
ey. The merchant is forced to buy his
stock from concerns that tolerate no
competition. He is forced to sell his
goods in competition with his fellow
merchants, owing to the combines that
are formed. the profits OF the whole
sale houses are v cut. II the
prices Of the goods are raised to the
small merchants, it simply follows
that its profits are diminished. The
merchants loss is the combines gain.
And it is equally true that the COM
bine's gain is not only the merchants
loss, but the public's as we'll. This
is the fact which John Smith has dis
covered and about which he is ener-
getically telling his friends and neigh
bors. And as a result Of having at
last seen the light upon the trust ques-
ton he has decided to vote against
them by casting a ballot for Bryan.
Thus ends the simple story Of john
| Smith.