Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-08-10
The Young Man In Politics.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The Young Man In Politics.
A great effort las been made by the
Republicans to control the youngsmen
who will cast their first vote for Pres
tdent this year. Documents have been
prepared especially for that purpose
and distributed by the Protective Tariff
League. These are artfully written
and would deceive even older heads
than the first voters unless well
grounded in the Ifallacles and folly OF
protection. The promise OF big wages
is an alluring bait to catch the young
man who is intent on pleasure or to
save enough to start in business for
himself. The corresponding and even
greater cost Of living does not affect
the young man as it does those with a
family to support. High trust prices
do not impair the income of the young
man as they do the father of family.
But the Republican system of pro-
lection is more disastrous to the young
man than to his fnther. The first
voter has to win his way to lndepend-
ence. and he finds the tariff bred trusts
have by concentration of business into
large corporations eliminated many op-
portunities that used to be open and
free. Most young men must now be
content to serve others and can never
aspire to be their own masters. The
reduced number Of well paid employees
Of corporations and wholesale houses
Is another curtallment Of the CHARGES
Of young men for good position in
life. The number of travelling men sent
out since the consolidation of manu-
featuring and distributing concerns is
much smaller than 1t used to be, and
the salaries and allowances for ex-
penses are not as generous. Clerks
in stores do not get nearly as good
wages now as before the trust era
reached its height. If the cost of liv-
ing is taken into consideration the de-
cline in wages is much greater, reck
oned by the purchasing power. Unless
young man has influence, or ia es-
pecially bright, his chances of advance
ment in the services Of corporation
is restricted to filling the place Of those
who resign or through the deaths Of
ether employees that may occur.
In the professional world the num-
Der of aspirants has increased In a
much greater ratio than the population.
in consequence of the greater number
OF colleges and reduced outlook for a
good living in other occupations.
When those young men who choose
a professional career have embarked in
it, they will soon feel the full burden
of the tariff and its high prices, as a
professional mans income does not rise
and fall with the cost Of living. When
the cost Of meat, coal, groceries and
rent are increased the fees of the doc
tor or the lawyer remain comparatively
stationary.
In the mechanical trades many ave-
nues have been closed by the CONSOLE
dation OF small manufacturers into
great corporations, or the competition
of the trusts has wiped them out Of
existence.
The increased cost of land has re-
-dseed the vpp5rtt YES for Young y "
to acquire farms of their own, unless
they are willing to work many years
to save enough money to make the re-
CURED payment and buy the necessary
stock and implements. There they find
the full weight of the protective tariff
and the resulting high trust prices. The
farmer sells nearly all his farm prod
ucts in competition with foreign coun-
tries and everything he buys is ad-
vanced to the highest possible price
by the protection the tariff gives to the
corporations that produce what he
buys.
The system that has been developed
under these Republican politics is all
against the young man starting out
in life unless he Is content to only as
pire to being a drudge for corporation
aud then only one in a thousand ever
gets beyond the lower rung of the lad
der.
The labor unions have made it pos
sible by combination, for few young
men to obtain fair wages as stone
masons, bricklayers, carpenters, paper
hangers. painters. or mechanics. but
the number of apprentices Is limited in
those trades and the high cost of liv-
ing again prevents much saving and
the slack times when work is scarce
has to be provided for
Under the Democratic policy OF
equal rights to all and special priv.
ieges to none" everyone could achieve
independence by work and attention to
his business. The moderate tariff does
not protect the trusts at the expense
of the consumer. Wages might not
be so high, but the cost of living would
be much less and the balance saved fol
the rainy day would be greater. Thai
was the condition during the low tariff
period before the war. when nearly
every man could sit under the shadow
Of his own vine and fly tree. Now thu
great majority are at the mercy O
landlords and masters or the soulles!
corporations.
The young man just starting In lif,
must investigate and weigh the ad
vantages and disadvantages Of the two
systems and vote accordingly and no
be led away by the specious promise.
made by the Republicans.
How Our Farmers Are Handicapped
The tariff tax on implements ant
tools bears most heavily upon TIL
farmer. All, or nearly all, of these ar
ticles-plows, cultivators, harrows
planters, drills. hoes. shovels. axes
wrenches, scales. saws. barb wire
wire nails etc.-are sold at greatly re
duced prices to foreigners. Our farm
ers. when they sell wheat in England
compete with the wheat from the Ar
gentine Republic and from Australia
Our wheat growers are greatly handi
capped III this competition by three