The independent., 1903-05-07
independent School of Political Economy

cratic delegation to the next national
convention by the Cleyeland-HH.
crowd, vita prospects OF success.
When The Independent told the DEM
ocrats that there would be such an
effort, both i'll Nebraska and Kansas.
the leaders in this state said there
was no danger.
-
The discussions in the dailies as well
as their news columns during the last
week show that the trust question is
becoming more and more the para
mount" question of the hour. The
trusts and the socialists both declare
that the day of competition is passed,
never to return. What ever of civili-
zation there is in the world has been
evolved from recognizing and en-
forcing the law of competition and
society is constructed upon that prin-
ciple. If competition is destroyed.
whether by trusts or socialism, new
form of civilization will result. 1t
will be such change as has never
before occurred in the world. From
barbarism to feudalism was a great
change. From feudalism to competi-
ton and free government was ar
other great transformation, but neith-
er would compare to the universal
upheaval tha. would follow the de-
struction of competition. 1t means
an entirely new form of life and re-
construction of society from top to
bottom. Either the trusts must be
destroyed or society and government
as it now exists be overthrown. A
few of the dailies begin to see for the
first time what the destruction OF
competition really means.
There was an effort made by the
railroad attorneys before the inter-
state commerce commission to sup
port the claim that the greatly in
creased earnings of the roads came
from the increase in business, but 1t
utterly failed. The increased earn
ings have come from the increase in
rates which have been made since
there has been an agreement of all
| the roads to stand by "the community
of interest plan" There Is no more
any competition in any direction.
When the roads running to the ports
of New York, Baltimore and Boston
raise rates, the roads running to Gal
weston and New Orleans make cor
| IesL ending advance. The roads are
going to take all the traffic will bear,
whether they run north and south or
/ east and west There is no way Of
escape except government ownership
! hn nf hn q
to understand the situation, govern
ment ownership will come with a
whoop."
| The postoffice investigation has ad
vanCed so far that charges have been
fle1 against ex-Postmaster General
Smith, Comptroller of the Treasury
TraceWell, Postmaster Merritt of
Washington, Perry S. Heath, secre-
tary of the republican national COM
mittee and the fourth assistant post ,
master general, Bristow. They all
seem to have been tarred with the
same stick. The charges are filed By
Seymour W. Tollock, for twenty years
cashier of the Washington postoffice.
These charges are to the effect that
the general postoffice has been used
as the dumping ground for the pay
neIt of workers for the republican
party. He says that an investigation
started some time ago was stopped
by the order Of Comptroller Tracy be-
cause fraud was being traced to too
high officials: He adds: Very few
good things have lasted longer, been
enjoyed with greater effrontery or
been protected by those so high in
authority and influence" The whole
republican machine is rotten from top
to bottom. Turn the rascals out.
The church of England is terribly
excited over the marriage of w. K.
Vanderbilt by minister of that de-
nomination and the papers over there
are filled with gossip about it. 1t is
now stated that the reason that the
New York court modified it's decree
and allowed Vanderbilt to marry
again was because Senator Chauncy
Depew made solemn oath that Van
derbilt had reformed and was no
longer a libertine of the lowest cast
such as he was proven to be when
his first wife got divorce.