Courier Democrat., 1904-02-04

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Eress "stand Pat''-Trusts Wax Fat
From the Substance of the Farmers,
Yet the Party In Power Says, "Let
Well Enough Alone"
The farmers of the country used to
be "the people, to whom the politicians
appealed at election and who were
therefore the political power in the
land. Who thinks of the farmer now
as the great political factor? Who ex-
cept few congressman who represent
purely agricultural districts? And with
them the nominating power is in the
hands of the residents of the villages
or county seats. The political wire pull
ers are the lawyers and bankers and
the county ring, and back Of them all
is the railroad or trust attorney who
directs them in the interest of some
corporation or railroad. Take the great
agricultural state Of Iowa, for example,
and all her representatives in congress
of both houses are lawyers except two,
who are bankers. None of these Repub-
Hcan leaders has been active in passing
any bill of interest to the farmers, nor
have they protested against the passage
of laws that are detrimental to the in
terests Of the farmers.
A large majority of the Republican
members of congress are at the beck and
call of the corporations, and instead of
laws being passed to control these giant
combines the last congress passed an
act that relieved the railroads Of being
prosecuted under the criminal section
Of the interstate commerce act. The
law passed giving the president power
to publish such proceedings Of the
trusts as could be discovered, known as
the publicity law has so far not
been put in operation, and if it were it
would be worthless to the farmers, for
no farmer has been silly enough to in
vest his savings in the watered stocks
Of the corporations.
1t is therefore not singular that the
farmers of the agricultural states are
demanding tariff reform and that the
"Iowa idea." that the tariff fosters
trusts that oppress the agricultural
communities, has Become an issue. The
state grange of Iowa is aroused to the
exactions of the packers trust and the
railroads. The grangers say they can
not understand why cattle and hogs
should be cheaper and meat dearer.
The same complaint comes from Illi-
nois, and a few days ago the farmers
around Bloomington held meeting
and urged the retail dealers to return
to the old method Of killing and dress
ing their own hogs and cattle. The re-
port of the proceedings of this meet
ing declares that
"High freight rates and exorbitant
charges for .yardage and feed at Chi
cago, together with the low prices that
the trust has installed for live stock.
render their fat cattle and hogs al
most worthless to them."
These farmers could have added that
President Roosevelt and Attorney
General Knox have refused to bring
criminal proceedings against the pack
ers' combine, although that trust ex-
lists in direct violation of the antitrust
law. The farmers may imagine that
the suit commenced against the pack
ers for an injunction to prevent them
from combining in restraint Of trade
will, If confirmed by the supreme court,
do away with the monopoly that the
packers now have of the stockyards
and Of debating the price Of cattle and
hogs and of meat to the retail dealers.
Come farmers may think that II the
suits above mentioned and the one
against the merger Of the Great North
ern and Northern Pacific railroads
are decided against the combines the
trust fabric VIII collapse and comped-
tion again prevail. No one whs m