The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-01-02

idea is indefensible, and hence there
was no united action among the farming
population. And, even if there had
been, unanimous granger request pre-
scented in due form to the United States
congress, the answer of denial, for many |
reasons, would have been just the same.
And one of the principal reasons why
the farmer cannot be as successful as the i
corporations, the manufacturing and
commercial interests, in getting partial
legislation favorable to them, is because
they declare themselves non partisan,
to begin with, and rest their case wholly
upon its merits, as viewed from the
standpoint of the general welfare. II
the other interests, or classes, should
conduct their business in like manner,
they, too, would fail.
But they do not. Their demands are
not predicated upon ideas of justice and
the general welfare. With them their
business interests control their political
action. They go with the party that
does the most for them, and by their
campaign contributions to great ex-
tent control legislation.
Such interests are organized, and
speak authoritively through their gov
erning heads. They support Hobbies,
and employ attorneys to defeat hostile
legislation and secure extraordinary
privileges.
4 Probably no more astounding govern
mental subservience to syndicate con-
troll was ever witnessed in any country
} than in the adoption of the Porto Rican
tariff. Even "plain duty" could not
stand against the greed Of the sugar and
tobacco magnates.
In comparison with such concer
: trated and INSCRIPTIONS powers, how
is it expected that the farmers and the
} farm laborers, scattered all over The
broad area of the republic, withou
any effective organization, and spill
into several political factions an
tagonistic TO their own professed in
. tarests,-how can it be expected tina
they shall succeed in extorting priv.
ges from a government already un
der control Of the privileged classes
Probably a majority Of farmers, es
lpecially in the northern, eastern, an
western states. believe firmly in tn
protective system, which is the paren
and support of monopolies and the
aggregate trusts; and they do so i
spite of the patent fact that only j
this way can the prices OF commod
ties they buy be unduly raised agains
them. On account of the tariff pro
tected trusts, prices of all the trus
goods have been largely advanced
and there is no avoidance except b.
Knocking out the trust underpinning
the protective tariff, which the es
pecially victimzed farmer regard a
sacred. Can they never learn that ad
vance in price of things they buy is tn
same in effect as a decree by % cent
busEel; oats, Is cents; potatoes, l
cents; hops, cents per pound; an
wool, cents per pound? If the farm
ers do not keep accounts, fate keeps
ledger for them, with debit and credi
columns; ana the trusts have charge {
the debit side. The often plucked farm
er has little to do with either side. III
must take what he can get for his pre-
|
auctions in free-trade market, an
suffer any trust extortion imposed upo
him. Need he express any surpris
that at the close of his fiscal year b
cannot make ends meet?
And as the monopolies become NOR
consolidated and perfectly organized
the worse his case becomes.
Soon the problem of trust reguIatio
of prices will be SO completely solve
that any required income to the ez
ploiters can be realized, save wha
. would debar bare living to the toiers
What is the course for them? Ho,
are they to be awakened to a know
: edge of the ways and means of de
llSci y. w lldl Will GIDdQClDut
them? There are many good peopl
who answer, Socialism. But such
remedy, even if socialists could agre
upon program CT application, amount
to profound reorganization of societ,
something that has never taken plac
at a single move, and probably neve
will; for that is not the way reform
come.
Evolution does not proceed in tt
kangaroo jumping style. Step by ste]
little by little, is the way humani;
rises or recedes. That is the law
progress. True, negro slavery W,
Il abolished legally by decree; but ever,
body knows it is not abolished in fac
Emancipation is slowly progressin
that is all. Socialism may be the 60
to which we tend, but it will not con
oil of onco II ,rill como in +ho ra,,.