Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-08-17

because the theory cannot be sus
tanned in any other way than the
theory. as our republican friends tel
us. is our fixed national policy,
hence TO doubt il would be disloyalty
Law of supply and Demand n Myth.
| y wise man Cntertains a sovereign
| contempt for a great many sorts OF
errors. but the soverciSnest OF al
should be visited upon the designing
| IDIOT who saws that the price OF labor
| depends upon the amount of work tC
be done in country and the number
of men capable and DESTROYS of doing
liz: in a word. on demand and supply
| of labor That particular sort OF pc
culiarly inspired idiot attempts 10 eN
plain that the high wages which were
paid in California and all the new
states for those employed ON farm
in store. mine or forest, in compare
son with the wages Paid in older
states which were without free lands
and with comparative abundance OF
laboTcrs. is to accounted for by the
comparative scarcity of wOrkingmen
and the comparative abundance of new
work in the new states. The same
featherless bipcd, We cannot be too
severe on him. sir. carries his eXplana-
ion further and tells YOU that the superi-
ority of our wage rate in colonial times.
and always since then over that exist
ing in Great Britain and on the CONT
ucnt. was due to this same fact, viz,
scarcity of workingmen and abund-
anCe of work. How lacking in subtle
ty Of intellect! Instead of seeking il
remote metaphysical places reasons
satisfactory to curious mind, he con
tents himself. like Il brother 10 the
OK" with the facts that happen to OBJ
trudc themselves right in front of his
nose. These be, sir, mere demagOSiC
appeals to the bascSt set III the land
tho farmers" as our fellow-citizen in
The white house is reported 10 have
called them. What is the brother 10
he OK fit for anyhow. save 10 be taxed
for the creation of naturally unprofita-
Die Industries. 1t is plain, sir, TO me
and you and other strCnuOsitiCS, thai
an industry. created by taxation and
maintained by legislation, must ncces-
sarily be more profitable to the tax
payer and to tho consumer and, there.
fore. to the commonwealth. than an
industry which does not require any
legislation in the first instance, nor
any taxation of consumers to keep il
on it's feet after it has been created
by the base agencies of soil, climate
natural aptitude and other environ
mcnt.
Deceived in Regard TO Trusts.
That reminds me Of another blundeI
Of our ancestors, both under the com
mon law in Great Britain and i'll tn,
United States. They seem to have en-
tertainCd thC notion that combinations
II restraint of trade. seeking monopoly
ard thrOttlin% competition. are in some
way adverse 70 the development of
Individuality aud somehow poison
tie life of trade. They wen;
% far as to contend, that the
highest object of mans existence is
not to be well managed. even at liv
ing money profit In himself, but that
Il Is 10 learn to manage himself WE'LL
We know now that combinations OF
seeking with the power
If monopoly the resultant power of
robbing consumers by raising price,
to an cXtortiunatc figure, under the
shelter of tariff laws, shutting out for
eign competitors: and seeking the fur
Their resultant power to bear down the
price to be paid To the farmer raising
he raw material. and seeking the yet
further resultant power to regulate
wages. by reason of the fact that the
has nowhere else to go
TO get work except to the concerns IN
the cOmbinatiOn-3TC. on the whole
beneficial institutions in n free rCpub
lie of self governing men. They may
appear to be doing some harm, may
appear at first blush indeed to hc
blocking that broad opportunity for in.
iividual effort. which YOU enjoyed,
,ir. when you advanced in a life time
from the position of brakeman on a
ran to that of leader of men as a
9-lroad and industrial captain. and
Nnich many a country merchant, be
come now a merchant prince. also
once enjoyed. These are only phcnom-
email. however - mere Outward-SCcm-
ings. Great combinations of indus
trial corporations. seeking mOnOpOlis-
tic control. We now know to be in
duStrial evolutiOnS necessary to
modern development" and it is bias
phemy against almighty God himself
10 contend against this, His law of
evolution. There are those who urge
that federal statutes need nor aid the
evolution" but they are plainly mis-
taken. because. it being once granted
that il is Gods law. az all cvolut; onary
must be granted to be. then the con
ciusiun seems clear that it would be
both sacrilig.ous and irrcligious not
jo aid by legislation the evolutionary
process 50 wisely and 50 recently dis
covered.
Hope for Republic.
Sir. there is hope for the republic
as long as ii continues 10 move for
ward in the tried ways of the old
world. dIvorcing itself from OUtgrown
American landmarks. That we are
moving and divorcing there is no
doubt. Standing now III the dawn of