The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-10-19
NO HOPE FOR DRUMMERs.

1t ought not to surprise anybody
that nearly all the commercial travel
lers, except those employed by The
trusts, will vote for Bryan this year.
The surprise is that single one votes
for Mckinley. Even those who travel
for the trusts will find that they are
voting to cut off their own heads or re-
duce their salaries if the trusts sue
ceed in re-electing the ''syndicated
President Most of the trust mag
mates are not honest enough to admit
that the perpetuity of the trusts
means the end of employment for
most commercial travellers, but Mr..
Marburg, the trust tobacco man, is
candid enough to admit what will be
the natural result of trust control. He
recently said:
81 fear l have very little consolation
to offer the travelling man. There is
nothing that at present indicates his re-
Mobilization.
"To talk of abolishing trusts is as idle
as to talk of abolishing newspapers or
of breaking up the great trunk lines and
restoring the many small systems that
previously existed
1.-THE trust was born primarily of the
fierce competition between American
manufacturers. If the tariff in any way
conddced to 1t it was only by building
UP manufactures in America and provid-
ing the conditions for the competition. 1t
was the competition, not the tariff, which
produced the trust.
1.-The saving of the salaries of travel
ling statesmen is only one of the many
economics effected by these great bust
ness consultations. | have been a trav-
cling man myself and know the economic
waste involved in .deyoting ones time to
the sale of a particular article in com
petition with hundreds of others whose
time is excessively employed in the offer
of similar articles.
FOR LAW TO REGULATE TRUSTS.
"As at present loosely organized the
trusts present many Objectionable fea-
lures. These can be in measure re-
moved by organizing the trusts under a
national law We can demand of them
publicity of accounts. We can recover
for the people a part of their pro2t in
the form of public revenue. The gov
eminent might assume toward them an
attitude similar to that of the German
government toward the imperial bank.
IA might say to them: You must issue
stock only to the extent of the actual
cash invested in the business. You may
make a net profit of 10 per cent, II per
cent or IS per cent, but all profits above
that amount whatever that amount
may be- you must share with u.s..
1.-THE government should take the lions
share of this excess. Industry has been
going forward by leaps and bounds within
the last generation. In all these eco
nomic changes let of labor is displaced.
This is very hard on the individual, and
it is poor consolation to him to know that
society is the gamer, but such movements
are simply inevitable, and the net result
is unquestionably an immense social
gain.
THE displacement of the travelling
man is the result of an economic move
ment quite disconnected from politics.
He will not better his position by voting
for Mr.. Bryan. What Bryans victory
would involve would be great business
depression, which would simply de-
prive the travelling man of what oppor-
tunity he may now possess to find employ
ment IN OTHER FIELDS"