Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-09-06
THE GREAT QUESTION.
tFrom tho Springfield Republican.

tFrom tho Springfield Republican.)
William j. Byran on Monday demon
trated that he is factor still to be
reckoned with in politics by drawing
together two immense audiences at
Kansas City and calling out cheers
wherever he appeared. Accordingly
what he has to say continues to merit
some little attention.
What he did tell the workingmen on
this occasion, for one thing, was that
each decade of our history shows
greater production of wealth. and the
men who produce 1t have less to show
for it, If this Is so, then the pro-
ducers have increased their daily con
sumption out Of proportion to the in
crease in production; for nothing is
more clearly demonstrabe than that
wages in their purchasing power have
been increasing materially for several
decades back, and that the fruits Of
the average days labor, as actually
gathered in by the workers, are larger
than ever before, and growing larger.
1t cannot be true, therefore, that the
poor are growing poorer; but whether
the poor have less to show for their
labor in material savings may be
quite another question. The disposi-
ton of person whose income has
been increased to expand his expendi-
ture out of proportion to the Increase
is well known, and may in II way have
been manifested all along the line of
wage labor to an extent to establish
the truth of the Bryan assertion,
though we doubt II most decidedly; but
II the wage.worker has less to show
of material saving for the larger pro
duction, he must have more to show
in larger and more tolerable eXis-
tence and a better education for his
children.
We may, however, talk along this
line forever, without once touching
the point Of the popular discomfort,
which Is not that the poor are grow
ing poorer hut that the disparity in
Individual fortunes, measured from the
, higher to the lower, Is increasing 50
ns to accentunte more and more q
| comparative poverty of the masses.
: That this Is u true Indictment of the
} industrlaism of the day cannot easily
be denied. Appearances, ut least, sup
port It, and at no time in all our his
tory has this disparity grown so rapid
; ly MS during the last four or five years
Of the trust craze.
Whether the, trust as now formed
Is finally to stand or fall may he II
doubt. But that, In the formation
and setting afioat of these water
logged monsters, large new fortunes
have been created almost in day
, and great additions made to many ole
: fortunes, from promoters and under
writer's commissions and profits ano
! sales OF old plants Mt extravagant
: prices TO the new cannot be doubted
, We know, for example. us 1t Is n mat
ter Of certain public knowledge, thai
. MIR, Carnegie now possesses n fortune
h approaching, IL IL does not exceed
$500, 100000 In ns substantial prop
n Nllltn lh lll' huuNu, NAlic ~ NtuIs
, ago II Is doubtful II he held actually
in hand one-sixth OF that cnormou,
}. sum. The newspapers Were telling tn,
n otner day OF the European voyage o.
@ several Pittsburg millionaires, nj
Y made SO by the steel trust deals
It voyage which In its extravaganza,
continuously rlvaled the excesses o
n Lucullus, being for some Of them
IL was stated. first visit abroad,
first experience with great wealth
There has not been n combination
= formed during the FIVE years whic
l. has not established number of me
f. in assured and splendid afiuence, VIII
Q. before had been deep in the doubtfr
outcome of an individual busines!
" Lawyers, promoters, tinanciers an
N those who sold ont to hut did nc
ie enter the combination, have profite
Of enormously In most cases, and lei
IN the combination to make good thes
o. amazing eStravaganccs out of the pul
~ lie, II 1t can and out OF the residuar
no investor, II II cannot. And this great,
Capitalization of wealth we see refec
ed all around in too many cases
at be specified.
ne Here Is new cause for another di
re turbing outburst of popular dlsconten
hx and we shall doubtless hear from
OF more emphatlcally later on. And OF