Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-08-19
The Biz Strike.

Inc Big SlrlKe.
Half the people OF the country are
directly affected by the strike in the
meat packing adjustments, and the
other half Indirectly. All along the
line from live stock raisers to consum-
er, at every point, the strike touches
the pocket books of the people.
In this strike, as in most conflicts
between labor and capital, both en-
ployees and employees are somewhat
to blame. The fact remain, however,
that the packers are trying to reduce
the wages of unskilled laborers who
have been receiving $40 a week
starvation wages for married men
and the skilled workmen are standing
by their fellows in opposition to re
duction. That is an ugly feature of
the controversy and reflects upon the
meat magnates. The packers have
been getting men and women to work
for them on more profitable terms
than If they had bought the laborers
outright and cared for them as the
slave masters of the south cared for
their chattels. There is some thing
wrong when free American citizens
are forced to sell their labor at such a
price.
Behind the strike, however, are con-
ditions no less tolerable, conditions
that affect the entire people. That
there is a meat trust no one denies.
That the trust, through conspiracy, is
able to dictate and does dictate the
price to be paid for live stock on the
one hand and the price to be charged
the consumer on the other hand has
been amply demonstrated. That this
trust has put the local butcher out of
business, save as sellers for the trust,
goes without saying. That the pack
ing house magnates have virtual
monopoly of the meatmarkets is mat
ter of common knowledge. That the
railroads, licensed by the people as
common carriers, are used to further
the monopoly of the meat trust is also
known. It is simple and true in
dictment of this trust to say that it
controls great necessity Of life, dis.
turbs the normal conditions of trade
by killing competition, perpetrates a
crime against industrial freedom and
makes itself bigger than the power
that created it.
Who is to blame? The people. They
have tacitly given consent to sur
render of power. So long as they per-
NIT handful of greedy capitalists to
raise or lower prices in restraint Of
trade, bring disorder to every business
interest and dictate the terms upon
which they will treat with the'people,
so long will the situation maintain.
So long as the people permit their
laws to be maintained in the interest
of franchise holding corporations, so
long will the trusts rob the people.
Like great SPIDERS the trust mana
gers are allowed to spin their webs for
the ENHANCEMENT of the careless flies.
Suppose some foreign government
had invaded the country, debating
prices to producer and consumer and
holding hard working men and wo-
men in practical peonage, interfering
with freedom of trade, holding mo-
nopoly of one of the necessities of
life? How long would the people en-
dure that sort of a situation? The
stirring notes Of fife and drum would
give quick answer. But under favor
able legislation and specious interpre-
tation of law these things are done
and no one moves to action.
Political parties? The two big ones
illuminate against the trusts to beat
the band. One is as savage as the
other. Neither of them are anxious
to proceed beyond laundering in the
index, Why? Campaign contribu-
tions.
Nevertheless, the people are being
educated every day to hatred of that
wickedness that exploits the earnings
Of the people in the name of law and
liberty. So long as the packing trust
pinched the common laborers nobody
but the laborers and their fellows were
interested in particular. When the
trust pinched the stock raiser he sat
up and took notice. When it pinched
the consumer he flinched. When it
disturbed the business man he OBJ
jected. And so on along the line.
When public sentiment on the trust
question becomes rampant the politi-
cal parties will do some thing. Or if
not, party that will do something
will be born. Special privileges and
class legislation have been carried to
the verge.-Des MoInes News.
New Paper Attacks Bryan.
Silver Democrats of Indianapolis
have star ted campaign paper called
the Plain Dealer. 1t starts as a week
ly, but will be issued daily about the