Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1903-07-16
BOTH CLASSES SUFFER
How Protection to Trusts Robs
Laborers and Farmers.
SIGNIFICANCE OF HIGH PRICES.

Though Wages Rave Advanced, the
Increased Cost of Living Leaves No
Margin For workingmen-Fnrm
and Wage Workers Are Deeply
Concerned In Tariff Revision.
The trusts are blaming the increased
cost of their products on the working
men. who, they say, are demanding
unreasonably 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
advance in the price of trust produc-
tions. 1t Is difficult to see why the
increased wages, but wages have only
been advanced about II per cent
Wages not having kept pace with the
cost of living and the trusts and COM
bircs having refused in many cases to
increase wages, the result has been the
innumerable strikes to force them to
do so. Wages thus being forced high
or will increase the cost of production,
and the trusts will have to again adj
vance prices, and then labor will be
compelled to make further demands.
How far this increase in wages and
the price of trust products may go is
problcmatical, but it is certain that
those who have fixed income or
those who cannot force an increase of
wages are great sufferers by the in
creased cost of living and perhaps Il
majority of the people of the United
States are In this condition. 70 them
the halcyon days of the trusts mean
Il lack of prosperity and ditiiculty III
making their income furnish them q
decent living. Monopoly, with its in
satiate NAV, IS deyouring their sub
stance, yet those of them who are Re
publcans still cling TO the fetch of
protection that is the main cause of
their suffering. If the tariff on trust
productions was abolished, the fear of
competition would compel the com
bncs to lower the prices of their prod
ucts to prevent the importation Of for
rign made goods. Reduction i'll prices
would enable the workingmen to spend
more money OH Injuries, and business
in many lines would improve. 1t is
prcpostcrous 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
cigners on their own ground and UNI
dcrSclling them. If, as Is sometimes
,,f II
tions are sold ut loss and are merely
the surplus that cannot be sold ut
home, why this anxiety for foreign
markets and the boast Of the Repub-
leans that the largely increased eX-
ports exhibit our wonderful prospect
ty? Business done ut loss cannot
long continue, and to make the home
customer pay increased prices to carry
it on is an imposition upon the Ameri-
can consumer.
The farmers, whose products are not
protected and whose surplus crops
must be sold in the markets of the
world, have just begun to feel the in
creased cost of what they have to buy.
They find that the good prices for
agricultural products are being offset
and that the margin of profits Is de-
creasing. With good crops nll over the
world the prosperity of the farmer
would disappear, for the prices of farm
products are entirely established by sup
ply and demand. They have no trust or
combination to keep up prices, ana any
gttempt TO organize for that purpose
would fail because it would not include
even il minority of the farmers. The
price of every bushcl of wheat Is hXed
by the demand for the surplus after
the people of the United States nave
been supplied Bad crops In Europe
mean increased demand for American
wheat and good crops there force the
priccs down. Other agricultural prod
ucts of the United States of which II
surplus IS raised are governed In value
IN like manner.
Protection to the trusts through the
tariff is therefore Il constant menace
to the farmer and workingman alike,
and trust prices are a uniform tax up
on their incomes. Tho trusts must be
made to compete with their products
in the markets of the world, MS the
farmer Is compelled TO do, by remoy'
ing the tariff protection.