West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1902-12-25
ONE OF THE BAD" KIND
Governor Cummins Tells of Its
Bulldozing Methods.
BARBID WIRE PARTorsTB TRUST

How Dealers Arc Made sub.ervient
to the million Dollar Monster which
Devours Those who Oppose It-A
String OF "Bsd" Trust. In Dinsiey
rarin nm.
One or the trusts which both Gov.
ernor Cummins OF Iowa and the Chi.
cago Tribune admit are bad is the
barbed wire trust.
Not only Is II charged with being nm
absolute monopoly, OF selling 10 for
eigners at prices far below those
charged Americans and OF getting un.
lawful and specially low freight rates
over the railroads. but. as Governor
Cummins said In the Chicago Tribune
or Oct ~. 1T fixes not only tho price
the dealer must pay. but the retail
price he sells II for as we'll Firms
nave been refused barbed wire by tho
trust merely because they dealt I'm
other articles bought from independent
steel companies. and they were forced
10 surrender"
The Chicago Tribune for Oct. 2l
quotes Governor Cummlns statement
and adds that this is n dcspotism that
American citizens have submitted 10
with unexamplcd patience for an MS.
tonishing length OF time"
Governor Cummlns should be more
carcful In his talk. He belongs 20 n
party OF the trusts, for the trusts and
by the trusts His party has for forty
years legislatod 10 make goods dear
ana labor cheap 10 aid the trusts and
monopolies. IL has put higher and
higher duties on goods to make them
dear ana has left labor on the FREQ list
10 encourage our rapaclous infant man.
ufacturing industries. The trusts and
the Republican party have grown ND
together.
1T the governor is both wise and hon.
est, he VIII leave his trust ridden party
before the rotten structure collapses.
III, ike Samson, he is willing TO sac.
rince himself To destroy the protection
temple, we viii wish him n giant
though we know he is traitor to hIs
party and It's principles. TO stay where
ne liz ana denounce trusts and talk free
trade Is the rankest possible heresy.
lie cannot remain I'm hell and hope TO
reform the devil whom he calls master
The barbed wire trust IL n part ana
only small part, OF the billion dollar
steel trust. The high handed, bulldozIng
methods employed In the barbed wiro
department are In use I'm the tin plate
steel sheet. steel beam and other de.
partments or this giant monopoly.
Thousands OF manufacturers and deal
ers are now held up by this despotic
monster and compelled to do business
as IL dictates or not Mt all. They can.
not get any OF the trusts goods unless
they buy only OF II. They must ship
over the railroads designated by the
trusts, must finance their accounts I'm
the banks designated and often must
give credits and sell their goods at
prices or in restricted territory dictated
by the meddlesome but all powerful
trusts. a large dealer In steel goods
says:
TN our business, which, as you
know. consists OF pool OF the compa-
MES In this line OF business, we are not
allowed to buy ton OF material out
side OF the trust The trust also die
tates the prices at which our goods
must be sold. We do business entirely
Mt the mercy Of the trust We are not
free men, and there are very few free
men left In the iron and steel industry.
Many OF the employees Of the steel
trust tell me that they must either do
as they are told or give up their posi-.
tions. The policy OF the company Is TO
sandbag every industry with which Il
comes In contact. We do not dare To
complain publicly. for we would be
driven out OF business. III any OF us
would appear before an investigating
committee, our business would vanish"
The bulldozlng methods OF this trust
are duplicated by the Standard OIL, the
tobacco. the sugar, the plate glass and
hundreds Of other trusts. III Governor
Cummins Is looking for bad" trusts.
he can fad them thick I'm every sched-
ule Of ti'c Dinglcy tarlff bill and all
pulling Justify at the tariff pap, which
has nurtured and sustained more "odl-
Gus" trusts than have all other priyf-
leges combined.
How shall we destroy these despotic
mOnOpOlles whose Illegal power" as
the Tribune says, must be broken, or
kpNfhniufhA ny iIuut VIII AHke the
place OF government by the peopleT'
The answer is simple: XIII their moth
er. Stop feeding her, and the whole
litter OF greedy tyrants Will wither
away and die.
About S1OO,OO0,OOO OF the $4,000
600 OF profits which the steel trust will
make this year will come through tho
tariff. Not only would we save $780,
100000 n year on our steel goods by
putting steel on the free list, but the
now dOmineerlDg and dlctatorial trust
would become meek and humble. In
stead Of buying more ore and coal
mines and taking In more competing
concerns 10 maintain It's tariff monOpo-
~ Il could no longer afford, when It
must sell nt free trade prices, to pay
fancy prices TO keep control OF produc-
tlon, and soon we would have cOmpeti-
ton IN barbed wire, tin plate and other
products.
Governor Cummius, the people are
some day soon going to try this anti
tariff experiment as n remedy for
trusts, and they viii not try Il through
the Republican party. which can only
reform the tariff I'm one direction.
Where are you going TO put up? The
Democratic latch string Is always out.
--R. w. II.