Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-06-10
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Tru.ts and Wages.

Trusts aud Wages.
The wonderful material prosperity
of part of the people of the United
States and the lack Of 1t with the
greater number is an anomaly that is
startling and naturally leads to inves-
tigation to discover the cause. To
Judge by the numerous strikes that
are in progress there must, be large
percentage Of workingmen that do not
consider their condition prosperous.
Before strike is decided upon or or
dered majority Of those striking evil
IDENTIFY consider their circumstances SO
unfortunate that they are willing to
make themselves and their families
more uncomfortable for time. in
order that in the end they may be
prosperous. or at all events that their
case may be bettered. 1t is out of all
reason. that all these workingmen who
have voluntarily surrendered their
wages for an indefinite period, would
have done SO If their condition was
RhoopCLOuS. IL lue NltiLGh 10
living comfortably and laying up
bit for rainy day, he is enjoying
prosperity. If he and his family are
obliged to be satisfied with the bare
necessities of life and then can hardly
make both ends meet, one can hardly
blame him for striking, for his predic-
ament. short of starvation, could hard
" be worse. That is the plight Of a
vast number of hard working and in
dustrious citizens today.
Wages are about 10 per cent higher
than in 1899, but the cost Of living has
advanced nearly 40 per cent. So the
margin, If there was any, in 1890. is
wiped out and 1t is only by reducing
expenditures that the weekly or
monthly bills can be paid. Every citi-
zen who Is receiving no more emolu-
ment now than in 1890 is in the same
fix as the workingman who is striking.
1t Is only by cutting off all luxuries
and pleasures and restricting expepds-
lures to absolute necessities that those
with like restricted incomes are able
to make both ends meet.
The plutocratic press is very gener-
ally denouncing the workingmen for
demanding more wages and are much
exercised lest this general demand to
participate In the prosperity will bring
about conditions that will restrict and
soon overthrow it. One of these news
papers, the Journal Of Commerce and
| al nf
admits that the organization Of capital
and its greed Is the chief source of the
trouble that the rich are growing rich
er and the poor poorer, but 1t joins
organized labor with the trusts as be-
Ing equally responsible when 1t says:
"Itis a broad fact In this era of pros
perity that Its benefits are enjoyed in
but moderate measure, IL at all, by
n large majority of the people. The
small capitalist in business, the manu-
facturer and trader In Il modest way,
the great mass of clerks and others In
salaried places. the independent and
unorganized workers in a multitude of
occupations, with the rising cost of liv-
ing caused by the high prices that
large profits Of combined capital and
high wages of organized labor induce,
have the same struggle for a comfort
able existence that they had In less
prosperous days. They are deprived
Of their share of prosperity by the
i greed of aggressive combinations OF
capital and labor"
That is rather tough on President
Roosevelt, who is daily declaimina
that universal prosperity prevails and
that nothing must be done to disturb
the present conditions. His claim that
to stop big bad trust from charging
exorbitant profits might hurt Others
and ruin the small manufacturer /:
not borne out by the facts. All the
! combines are making too much ant
the good trust Is not visible to TIL,
naked eye. If the trusts rSust be al
lowed to continue to overcharge til,
consumers, the latter must be paid O.
allowed to make enough to be able Il
pay the exorbitant trust prices. II tn
present prosperity will not stand tina
strain, 1t Is n delusion and n snare 70
all but the favored ones. If Presiden
Roosevelt could throw off the shackle
that the cunning Of the protected
trusts have now bound him with ant
e aid Instead of hinder the reform ele
ment of his party, the tariff schedule
that protect the combines could be re
vised and the exorbitant prices tina
now prevail would be reduced forth
g with. AS 1t Is, the voters who ar
being ground between the milestone
must await their opportunity to brin,
about reform until the election of an
other Congress in 1904. There is III
hope from the Republican party; 1t 1
controlled by the monopolists.
Advance in Windnw Glas- pricc,.