Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-06-24
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81 == OF THE DAY =
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Protection nua the Fnrmer..

Protection aud the Fnrmers.
The trusts are blaming the Increased
cost of their products on the working
men, who. they say. are demanding
unrcasonably high wages. AS the cost
of living has increased on an average
about 40 per cent In the last few
years, mostly in consequence Of the adj
vance in the price of trust productions,
1t is difficult to see why the working
men should not get that much In
creased wages, but wages have only
been advanced about - per cent.
Wages have not kept pace with the
cost of living, and the trusts and
combines having refused In many
cases to increase them, the result has
been the innumerable strikes to force
them to do so. Wages, thus being
forced higher, will increase the cost
of production, and the trusts will have
to again advance prices, and then Ia
Dor will be compelled to make further
demands. How far this increase In
wages and the price of trust products
may go Is problematical, but 1t Is GER
tain that those who have a fixed In
come or those who cannot force an In
crease of wages are great sufferers by
the increased cost of living, and per-
haps majority of the people of the
United States are in this condition. To
them the halcyon days Of the trusts
mean lack Of prosperity and difii-
Guilty in making their income furnish
them decent living, Monopoly, with
Its insatiate NAV, is deyouring their
substance yet those of them who are
Republicans still cling to the fetch
protection, that Is the main cause of
their suffering. If the tariff on trust
productions was abolished the fear of
competition would compel the conf
bines to lower the prices Of their prod
ucts to prevent the importation Of for
eign-made goods Reduction in prices
| would enable the workingmen to spend
more money on luxuries and business
in many lines would improve. 1t is
preposterous to answer that there
would be an influx of foreign goods
which would shut up our factories, for
the trusts are competing with the for
eigners on their own ground and UNI
delselling them. If as is sometimes
claimed, the exports of trust produc-
lions are sold at loss and are merely
the surplus that cannot be sold ut
home, why this anxiety for foreign
markets and the boast of the Repub-
licans that the largely increased ex-
| ity? Business done at loss cannot
long continue, and to make the home
customer pay increased prices to carry
1t on is an imposition upon the Amerl.
can consumer.
The farmer, whose products are not
protected, and whose surplus crops
must be sold In the markets of the
world. have just begmto feel the in
creased cost of what they have to buy.
They find the good prices for agricul
tural products are being Offset and the
4 margin of profits Decreasing. With
good crops all over the world the pros.
perity of the farmer would disappear
for the prices of farm products art
entirely established by supply and de
mnnd. They have no trust of combi
nation to keep up prices. and any at
tempt to organize for that purpose will
fail, because it would not include ever
Il minority of the farmers. The price
of every bushel of wheat is fixed b!
the demand for the surplus after ths
people of the United States have beer
supplied. Bad crops in Europe NEAR
increased demand for American wheat
and good crops there force the prices
down. Other agricultural products O
the United States, of which surplu.
is raised, are governed in value Ii
like manner.
Protection to the trusts through TIL,
tariff is therefore a constant menace t,
the farmer and worklngmen alike, ant
trust prices are IL uniform Tux upoi
: their ines The trusts must b.
made TO compete with their products
in the markets of the world as tn
! farmer is compelled to d., by remoyin,
the tariff protection.
The PostnfIice Scandal.
The investigation of the rotten sys