The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-09-17

able than ever before and they have been
taken advantage OF TO the full extent by
American thrift, industry and enterprise.
Order has been observed. the courts up
held. and the fullest liberty secured 10 all
citizens The merchant and manufactures,
but above all the farmer and the wage
worker. have profited by this state of
things.
Fundamentally and primarily. the pres
ent contest Is contest for the
continuance OF the conditions which
have told in favor of ma
terial welfare and OF our civil and
political integrity. IL this Nation is TO re-
tain either its well-being OF its self-respect,
IL cannot afford 10 plunge into financial
tndorse governmental theories which would
unsettle the standard of national honesty
and destroy the integrity OF our system
OF justice. The policy of the free coinags
of silver at ratio Of 10 to l is policy
fraught with destruction to every home
In the land. II means untold misery TO
the head of every household, and, above
all. TO the women and children OF every
home When our opponents champion free
silver at 10 TO l they either insincere
or sincere in their attitude. II insincere
IN their championship they, Of course. for
.fetS all right to belief or support on any
ground. II sincere, then they are a menace
10 the welfare OF the country. Whether
they shout their sinister purpose or merely
whisper u makes but little difference, save
as IL reflects their own honesty.
THE PARAMOUNT ISSUE.
mo issue can be paramount to the issue
they thus make. for the paramountcy Of
such an issue is to be determined, not by
the dictum of any man or body of men, but
by the fact that IL vitality affects the we'll
being Of every home in the land. The
financial question is always of such far
reaching and tremendous Importance TO the
national welfare that IL can never be raised
I'm good faith unless this tremendous i'm
portance Is not merely conceded but in
sisted on. Men who are not willing TO
make such issue paramount have no
possible justification for raising it at all,
for under such circumstances their act can
not under any conceivable circumstances
do aught but grave harm.
The success of the party representing
the principles embodied I'm the Kansas City
platform would bring about the destruc-
ton or all the conditions necessary to the
continuance OF our prosperity. 1t would
also unsettle our whole governmental sys-
tenn, and would therefore disarrange all
me vast and delicate machinery OF our
complex Industrial life. Above all, the
effect would be ruinous TO our finances.
lf We are to prosper, the currency OF this
country must be based upon the gold dol
lar worth 100 cents. The stability of our
currency has been greatly increased by
the excellent financial act pasesd by the
last Congress. But no law can secure our
finances against the effect of unwise and
friendly administrators No party can
safely be intrusted with the management
of our national affairs unless 1t accepts as
automatic the truths recognized in all pro-
gressive countries as essential to sound
and proper system of finance. In their
essence these must be the same for all
great civilized peoples. In different stages
of development, different countries face
varying economic conditions, but at every
stage under all circumstances the most
important element in securing their eco
lI-hl Z
money. So intimate Is the connection be-
tween industrial prosperity and a sound
currency that the former Is jeopardized.
not merely by unsound finance, but by the
very threat of Cnsound finance. The BUSH
ness man and the farmer are vitality in
terested In this question; but no mans in
terest IS so great as that OF the wage
worker. A deprecated currency means loss
and disaster To the business men; but 1t
means grim suffering TO the wage-worker.
The capitalist will lose much of his capital
and will suffer wearing anxiety and the
loss OF many comforts; but the wage-work-
er who loses his wages must suffer, and see
his wife and children suffer for the actual
necessities OF life. The one absolutely vital
need OF our whole Industrial system is
sound money.
BUSINESS COMBINATIONS.
Zone Of the serious problems with which
we are confronted under the conditions of
our modern industrial civilization is that
presented by the great business combina-
tons. which are generally known under
the name of trusts. The problem is an
exceedingly difficult one and the difficulty
Is immensely aggravated, both by honest
but wrongheaded attacks on our whole in
dustrial system in the effort to remove
some of the evils connected with it,
and by the mischievous advice of
men who either think crookedly or
who advance remedies knowing them to be
Ineffective, but deeming that they may, by
darkening counsel, achieve for themselves
q spurious reputation for wisdom No good
whatever Is subserved by indiscriminate
denunciation of corporations generally and
OF all forms of Industrial combination in
particular; and when this public deRunca-
ton Is accompanied by private membership
IN the great corporations denounced the eff
feet Is, Of course. to give an air of insin-
certify to the whole movement Neverthe-
less there are real abuses, and there is am
pie reason for striving TO remedy these
abuses. crude or i'll considered effort TO
remedy them would either be absolutely
without effect or else would simply do dam
age
THE first thing to do is to find out the
facts, and for this purpose publicity as TO
capitalization, profits and all else of i'm
portance to The public is the most useful
measure The mere fact of this publicity
would In itself remedy certain evils, and as
70 the others X would in some cases point
out the remedies and would at least enable
US TO tell whether or not certain proposed
remedies would be useful. The State, act
ing In its collective capacity, would thus
first find out the facts and then be able
10 take such measures as wisdom dictated.
Much can be done by taxation. Even more
can be done by regulation. by close super
vision and the unsparing excelsior of all
unhealthy. destructive and anti-social ele-
ments. TIE separate state governments can
do great deal. and where they decline TO
cooperate the national government must
step In.
EXPANSION.
While paying heed to the necessity of
keeping our house i'm order at home the
American people cannot. if they wish to