Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-10-08

stancy from every direction Notwfthstand-
Aciency has yielded an embarrassing sur
plus, and the credit Of our government has
become the highest In the world. President
Cleveland could not sell small issue of 5
per cent. bonds at par without the help
of afsyndicate OF Wall street bankers and
| yet our Democratic friends are dissatisfied
They stand In the midst OF all this pros
perity, sharing equally with US its rich
blessings, but they are unable to speak one
word Of frank acknowledgment for its
existence or Of compliment for the wise
craftsmanship that has brought It about
They have just Issued campaign text
book 1t Is a most remarkable publication.
II processes to deal with business condi
lions of the country, and to set forth the
political issues Of the day and the claims
OF the .two parties with respect thereto;
matter, but you win read 1t in vain TO find
one word about the marvellous changes that
years In our economic conditions. Not one
word can you find In 1t about our improved
national credit; one word about our
superintendent revenues; not one word
about the phenomenal business activity that
perYades the whole land; not one word
about the universal employment Of labor;
not one word about the peace, happiness
and eontentment that reign everywhere
throughout our broad country; but you win
find page after page OF d1eary, doleful.
pessimism about strikes and trusts, and
the water-cure. It Is all calamity. ealam-
ityI calamity.
Origin of Strikes.
It Is true that along with all this pros
pertty we do have some strikes. but 1t is
also true that We have never yet had a
strike in this country on account of the
enforcement of any policy of the Repub-
llcan party. All our strikes have been due
to the fact that the employees have felt that
they were not getting fair division Of a
common prosperity; or that their condition
In some other respects should be improved.
The trouble has always been between
them and their employers and never be
them and the RQOuhiiQau narfV We
have strikes also under Democratic admin
istrati0ns, but there is a difference between
their strikes and ours When the Repub-
lican party is in power labor strikes, and
ital strikes.
Labor never strikes except when it is
safe, and capital never strikes except when
II Is unsafe
Every wageworker In the land knows
that his services will be In demand so long
as the Republican party remains In power,
and that II he knocks off from his work
for a while 1t will still be there waiting
for him when he returns to 1t.
Every capitalist knows that the advent OF
the Democratic party to power is signal
to the business public to take in sail: Dem,
ocratic strikes mean general Stagnatton ana
In many ways and places absolute par
alysls and suspension of business. Under
Republican strikes thousands go voluntarily
Into brief tdleness, but under Democratic
strikes tens of thousanSs are driven into
enforced idleness and want, OF lndennlte
duration.
a strike all just men will deplore 1t, and
no man or party of men should ever seek
to make out OF 1t any kind of political
capital.
The same may be said OF the trusts. They
are not in any proper sense OF the word
party question, and they never can be
made so. For this reason l would ordinari-
ly devote but little time TO them. But the
refusal OF Speaker Henderson to be
candidate for reelection because Of the
attitude toward them of some Republicans
In his district has brought the whole sub
Ject TO the attention Of the American peo-
pie in such a way as to make apology for
few plain words unnecessary.
Trusts in Free Trade England.
In the first place, trusts did not originate
here, a result of the tariff, but IN Eng
land and European countries where they
have free trade and where they had trusts
of every character long before they be-
came common in America, and where today
they are more numerous than they are IN
the United States. In the next place,
what are today called trusts are generally
nothing more than large corporations en-
gagged as a rule In perfectly Legitimate bust.
ness. and as such they are but a natural
EVOLUTION of modern Industrial conditions.
DelNocrats and Republicans alike promote
them, 0rganize them, hold stock in them,
conduct ITEM and share in their benefits
and advanl ages. They exist because there
Is a demanl for them; not political but
a business demand
We have reached the point in our In
dustrlal and commercial development where
and have large surplus besides. This sur
plus must be sold, If not ut at home then
abroad. If it cannot be sold 1t will not long
be produced. If not produced, then not
only must our output be curtailed, but the
paw roll must be cut down. II the pay
roll Is cut down, not only the wageworker
suffers but the home market Is correspond
ingly restricted and the farmer suffers q
consequent falling OFF in the demand for his
products There is trouble all along the
Considerations of this character show
that we must not restrict production but
must find additional markets. To find add
tional markets means that we must sue
ceesfully compete with foreign countries
To do that we must manufacture at less
cost not only what we may e nnd th ro pat
portatlon and exploitation Of our goods
and wares.
TO do this we must economic. There ar,
many ways to do that. One is to reduce
wages and thus lessen the cost OF manu-
facture. The Republican pAty Is unalter-
ably opposed to that. We raised wages
To their present high standard and we
propose to keep them there.
Another way TO economize Is by consol
but they are far less Objectionable than
the reduction Of wages.
Preventive Legislation.
By consolidating may establishments into
one you make a large capital and create Il
concentrated power of money, which IN
the hands of INSCRIPTIONS men, may be
used to the injury Of the public welfare.
Because there may this improper use 1t Is
appropriate to so legislate as TO prevent IL,
just as we iegislate to prevent too great
a speed In the running of railroad trains,
street cars, and automobiles, or 10 prevent
the great dangers to property ana NE lnat
attend the use of the electric current, gun,
powder and dynamite; but as no one would
think of prohibiting or destroying raliroaas,
or street cars, or automobiles, or electric
light and power plants, or gunpowder or
dynamite by legislation, SO. too, no one
who has any sense would think of legslat-
Ing as TO prohibit or destroy. large combina-
tions of capital necessary for the conduct
OF legitimate enterprises.
They have become a feature or modern
business cordi ions the world over ana IN
consequence they are special necessity
here In tie United States where we are
compelled IN Invade and capture foreign
markets or sle"Aen the pace at which we
are going in the employment or labor ana
the development of our resources;
The Republican party recognizing TINS
fact, Will correct evils and prevent ahc
! punish abuses, but II VIII not hamstrlng
Bryan or any body else. While 1t remains
In power It will continue, on the contrary,
| to inaugurate and uphold policies that WIZ
| give employment to both labor ana capltaI
alike remembering that both must flourish
or neither can.
on such subjects Mr.. Bryan Is an unsafe
ana alscredlted adviser. If he had been
elected In 1896 and his policies, instead Of
we would have been today In the free sill
| yer class Of nations with China and Mex
leo, struggling TO hold our own markets
instead Of invading ana Gaptpt , ts tioSe 81
| in our favor the largest balance Of trade
! ever known since the beginning Of history.
| we would not have in our vaults the lHrg-
est amount Of gold ever possessed by any
| stand as we do. at the head OF all nations
1 IN wealth and credit.