The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-12-05

I ducemen1s 70 organize into trusts all
other commercial, manufacturing and in
| dUstriaI enterprises.
The promoters Of such schemes ar
now bUsily engaged with capitalists and
! individual institutions. showing them The
advantage 70 be obtained by entering into
( greater corporations
1T is. therefore. evident that the time
has come for action TO prevent that which
can be called little less than highway
robbery The retail merchants are IN
willing parties IN taking the unreasonable
/ advance IN prices. caused by the trusts
from cur customers. We should enter
Our protest; we should use organized
efforts to protect ourselves and our Gus
I toners. and in every way possible pre-
/ vent its continuance or recurrence. If
! It can be done by legislative enactment,
We should force the national congress
( to early enact protective measures.
This can be readily accomplished as
more than half Of the congressman ard
United States senators are elected from
states that are controlled by the agricul-
tural classes.
While it is true that all political par
ties have adopted strong antitrust planks
at their conventions. and that our con-
gressmen have been elected on platforms
embodying these principles. and the pres
ident of the United States has repeatedly
calld the attention OF congress. by mes
sage 10 the necessity OF antitrust legis-
latiOn. yet. with the exception of the
so-called sherman anti trust law. which
was passed several years ago. but was
not sufficiently broad 10 meet the re-
quirements. nothing has been done TO
give the common people protection from
the growing evil. And it IS now evident
that Of antitrust laws are enacted. that
it viii be done by the direct demand
Of the retail merchants. and their custom
ers combined, irrespective OF party poll
tics
Therefore, I submit TO you. for your
favorable consideration, the following res
olutions and ask you TO adopt them:
THE RESOLUTIONS.
Whereas, All classes OF agricultural
implement dealers. farm machinery, We
hicles. etc, have been advanced in price,
from time 10 time. during the past few
years. and we are again advised by the
manufacturers of another advance in
the price of iron and steel; and
Whereas. The great iron and steel com
bines. organized under the plea OF econ
omy, have watered their actual stock
many fold. which is evidently done for
the purpose of misleading the public
as to the true actual cash capital in
vested IN their business. and they are adj
vancing the selling price OF their prod
ucts, etc, force the public 70 pay large
dividends on inflated capitalization.
Whereas. 1t is evident that tho spec
ulative manipulations of these orgauiza-
tons are against the interests Of the
users and consumers of manufactured
articles and that the plans and purposes
of these combines, are for the purpose
Of restricting competition and limiting
production, that we may force exorbitant
prices from the purchasers and users
of all manufactured articles. And
Whereas, We believe that II this sys-
ter1atic policy-which must be considered
little less than highway robbery-is to
continue that the time is not far distant
when the individual rights Of the retail
merchant and mis- customers, will be so
abridged that it wiz be Impossible to
successfully continue our vocstions; and
Whereas. The congress Of the United
States has been dilstory in its action
in failing to enact such general laws as
viii protect the public against the con-
spiracy prscticed by combination and
trusts, notwithstanding TIE fact that
the people have repeatedly petitioned
congress for relief from this growing
evil; therefore be it
Resolved, BY the Southwest Kansas
and Oklahoma Implement and Hardware
Dealers, in annual convention assembled
that we demand in our own behalf. and
in the vital interest Of our customers. /
the enactment of such national restric-
tive antitrust laws, at the hands OF this
session of congress, as viii prevent the
abuse OF the power that is embodied in I
large aggregation Of money under cor /
porate management with unlimited 1
power TO restrict production, and control /
prices.
Resolved. That we strongly condemn !
the policies adopted by corporations Of /
initiating the capital stock Of their or
eanizGtio1s and the paying Of princely 4
salaries 10 their officers which is evil /
IDENTIFY done for the purpose Of misleading /
the public as 10 the true earnings. Of
the actual cash capital, invested in their
business.
Resolved. That any representative 70
corSress from the state Of Kansas or
Oklahoma who fails 70 perform his duty
as outlined in ,uese demands. and the
pledges II the antitrust plank OF the
party platform OF principles on which be
was elected, that we pledge ourselves
irrespective Of party politics, % do an
in our power to retire said representative
10 private life: that a more willing rep
rcsentItive may be sent in bis place who
Will 90 the will of ,ne people he repre-
sents.
Resolved. That in the event Of this
session Of congress failing 70 give US the 7
relief from the burdens placed upon rs
by the trusts. that We pledge ourselves.
and collectively. 10 organize
within our OWN towns and counties non
partisan and antitrust leagues. inviting
al refill merchants and our own ana their
customers TO join with Us in the adop-
ton IF these or similar resolutions, To
no end that no representative may he
'lectcd 10 congress a. the future who
disregard the demands Of the public fo-
he enactment OF restrictive antitrust
anil corporation laws. fl further
Resolved That the secretary Of this
association is hereby instructed 70 send
,opics Of these resolutions 10 each con-
FRESHMAN and United states senator now
-errest ming Kansas and Oklahoma in
he national legislature
IF We do nos come out fairly on the
ide ~ olr customers. on this issue and
Il this time. Z predict the early dissolu-
ion Of au retail dealers associations. 90
he asTlcuitlral classes view WIKI Gis-
rlist All corlnercial organizations Many
Z them are now ~ the belief that the
retail Implement and Hardware Dealers
associations are simply the art ries ~
DEE trusts. reaching OH to the far-n. sap-
ia- 20 the resources ~ the farmer and
arriving it throueiltre different branches
utL 80 reaches TIE main rorFrs Of TIE
u.st 10 ther headquarters.
rhe adoption ~ these resoiuiir-s does
TOE mean tflt ve are olos-t. ~ do nor
e-0crize the necessity ~ large 4E-re-
aff9-s n capitol under corporate man
lanufartnrine and other i.nss ~ 1s
es- tlis progressive aEc. fur it o.es
lea1 tart Re went protective Jaws fa-
efel hT 1ETess ac ria prevent tre
d.se of tra u7z.r tla- - eu1adiel la
lree laerzeltio1s ~ cauital rreer core
1~1ta -uau Eer1cnf WITH u-fuli-fsi