Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1904-08-09
The Young Man in Politics.


who will cast their first vote for Pres
ident 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 falIacies 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
10 not impair the income of the young
man as they do the father of a family.
But the Republican system of pro-
lection is more disastrous to the young
man than to his father. The first
voter has to win his way to independ-
ence, and he finds the tariff bred trusts
nave by concentration of business into
iarge corporations eliminated many OPP
Dortunities 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
IF corporations and wholesale houses
IS another curtailment of the chances
Of young men for a good position in
ife. The number of travelling men sent
Dut since the consolidation of manu-
featuring and distributing concerns is
much smaller than ii used to be, and
he salaries and allowances for ex-
oenses are not as generous. Clerks
N stores do not get nearly as good
wages now as before the trust era
-eached its height. If the cost of liv-
ng is taken into consideration the de-
cline in wages is much greater, reck-
oned by the purchasing power. Unless
4 young man has influence. or is es-
pecially bright, his chances of advance
ment In the services of a corporation
is restricted to filling the place of those
who resign or through the deaths of
other employees that may occur.
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
stationary.
In the mechanical trades many ave
nues have been closed by the consoI-
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-
duced the opportunities for young men
to acquire farms of their own, unless
they are willing TO work many years
to save enough money TO make the re-
luired 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
acts In competition with foreign coun-
tries and everything he buys is adj
vanced to the highest possible price
%.
corporations that produce what he
buys.
The system that has been developed
nnder these Republican politics is all
N life unless he is content to only as
oire to being a drudge for corporation
and 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 a few young
men to obtain fair wages as stone
masons, bricklayers, carpenters, paper
hangers, painters. or mechanics. but
he number of apprentices is limited in
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 privi-
.eges 70 none" everyone could achieve
Independence by work and attention to
lis business. The moderate tariff does
not protect the trusts at the expense
II the consumer. Wages might not
De so high, but the cost of living would
be much less and the balance saved for
the rainy day would be greater. That
was the condition during the low tariff
period before the war. when nearly
every man could sit under the shadow
IF his own vine and fig tree Now the
great majority are at the mercy of
landlords and masters or the soulless
corporations.
The young man just starting in life
must investigate and weigh the adj
0antages and disadvantages of the two
systems and vote accordingly and not
De led away by the speciouS promises
made by the RepuollcahS.
how Our Farmers Are Handicapped.
The tariff tax on implements aud
tools bears most heavily upon the
farmer. All. or nearly all. of these ar
.icles-plows. cultiyators, harrows'
planters. drills. hoes. shovels, axes,
wrenches, scales. saws. barb wire,
wire nails, etc.-are sold at greatly re-
iuced prices TO foreigners. Our farm
ers, when they sell wheat in England.
compete with the wheat from the Ar
yentine Republic and from Australia.
Our wheat growers are greatly handi-
eapped in this competition by three
facts; ID they have to pay about -
per cent more for their implements
and tools, all made in America. than
paid for these same implements and
tolls by their foreign competitors:
a.