The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1904-05-14

could be. IN there we're any monopoly IL
would stnl be limited In Its powers. There
are laws that limit these things. What are
they? For one. the law OF maximum con-
sumption.
"A monopoly would be forced. by laws
that Congress never made. 10 place It's
product before the people at prices fair
and equitable Let me quote perfect
monopoly. the governments postage
stamps No one ever tried 10 break into
that monopoly; II he did he would be apt
10 break into the penitentisry az the same
time
80 long as the government has a per-
feet monopoly on the manufacture and
sale OF these stamps we will say. why not
let the government make lot OF money
by selling the stamps at 81 apiece? The
law OF maximum consumption for the
sale OF stamps would decrease in more
than equal ratio.
I'm the infancy OF the postal business.
when a postage stamp for an ordinary
letter cost Is cents. Congress lowered the
price 10 Is cents and the government sold
more stamps than when they were y
cents each. Then congress lowered the
price Of stamps to ten cents and the gov
ernment made more money than when
the stamps were sold at Is cents: then
the prices was lowered TO FIVE cents. and
still more money was made. and then TO
A SAD SUGAR TALE.
Now a postage stamp costs two cents
and there are many who think that II
the price weras made one cent the gov
ernment would make still more money
from its stamps. This is the law or maxi
mum consumption.
Then / look into these laws, and
find another law. the law OF deferred
consumption. II the price is irritative
man T. apt 10 postpone his buying. There
used 10 be many things that were luxuri>
Gus. now all things are necessities, but
is It necessary that we buy them right
away II the price is too high 10 suit US
'"rhe commonest necessities OF today
were luxurious in most communities we'll
within my memory. I can remember
when sugar was so costly that II was
considered a precious metal II used 10
cost us about 30 cents pound. one or
the bitter tragedies of my life Is centred
around the sugar | had gone into the
closet. ] remember, and I could not get
my head out of the sugar barrel before
| the exercises began.
There Is a law OF alternative consump-
! ton. Let me explain what l mean by
this. Take. for instance. the tin plate In
dustry. Suppose the American Tin Plate
| company should raise their prices high.
| II they ala this the glass, clay. enamelied
| iron and even wood all would come Tor
ward az substitutes for tin, and the result
would be the reduction OF the nigh price
| OF tin.
| MR.. BARBOUR OF CONNECTICUT
Hon Joseph L. Barbour was the next
speaker and his humorous anecdotes
| kent the assemblage in good humor ana
| he said in part:
'In the last campaign we all remember
that the Democrats had platform IN
which there were set forth What they
called three important issues. They SAID
In fact. that these issues were so I'M
nortant that ~ we did not support them
the republic Itself would suffer. One or
these issues was the free silver question
OF 1s 10 l. Who knows anything about
that at present or hears OF II In any
OF the Democratic papers? Another issse
was the military issue" The speaker then
read passage from the Democratic
platform and asked: What has become
OF that now? You never heard or II IN
the Democratic papers or spoken or by
any prominent Democrats. In spite OF
all this outcry made by the Democrats
four years ago the public found that
things progressed all right and that with
out any trouble whatever or any dire
calamities The third issue OF four years
ago In the Democratic platform was that
OF imperialism. This was called para
mount issue by the Democrats, but we
find that Il is 'paralyzed issue and
with II has gone w. j. Bryan.
A SOAP BUBBLE ISSUE.
"The Democratic party Is one OF the
dead issues. while the Republican party
is one OF live issues. The Democratic
party is like the withered old man, who
walks through graveyard and Is afraid
10 look either to the right or to the left
for fear that some OF his dead issues will
rise up and haunt him.
THE old man. to my mind, Is typical
OF the Democratic candidate, whoever me
may be, while the active young fellow Is
we'll represented by our beloved president.
Theodore Roosevelt | suppose that they
will present some sort OF an issue. They
always do. They are like the boy blow
ing soap bubbles with their issues, which
all I'm time blow UP like the soap bubble
They never run out OF issues. and never
will as long as their pipes, water and
soap last. The Democratic party, to my
mind Is a good deal like the chameleon.
in that II Is always changing Its color
''If the issue to be presented by the
Democrats is that OF trusts. ] think
that all that IL needed is TO listen to such
a mastery speech as you have listened
to this evening, and II will soon con-
vince you that there is little ground on
which the Democrats can stand. They
will snarl at the Republican candidate.
They always do, and they will at our
candidate Theodore Roosevelt Roose-
welt however Is an exponent of every
Republican. and typifies all that Is best.
truest and noblest in American history
and American life
The meeting closed with the singing OF
America"
Preceding the meeting the executive
committee met and talked over an ex-
cursion and dinner, complimentary TO
the delegates 10 the Republican national
convention. during the first week in July.
A number OF designs for compaign
buttons were also considered.
YtInrr O0vc l0ncCTrn