Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1905-08-10
THE MONOPOLY BARONS
With Aid OF Republicans They
Control the Nation.
PROTECTION THE CHIEF CAUSE

Every Combine Granted Some SDe-
cial Privilege to Loot the PeopIe-A
Fair Balance of Power Betxvcen
the Political Parties the Only Safe
ty For Republics,
In the end, of course, the consumers
pay all the millions amassed by the
trust barons. The Standard Oil mag
mates, the beef barons, the coal 40
bles, the railroad grandees, the steel
lords, the sugar worthless, the bank
a~r1stocratS and the numerous other
trusts and combine all get their
enormous incomes from the plain
American people. Ordinary and legiti-
mate profits would not build up such
fortunes in a lifetime, but instead of
years Of profitable business producing
q fail fortune millions are made each
year and are still accommodating.
1t is no secret how the proprietors
Of the combines have amassed their
wealth, but it is a strange mystery
that those who furnish it are content
to allow the accumulation to continue.
Every combine has some special priv
lege that gives it a monopoly, and the
representatives Of the people have
granted these special favors. The rail-
road monopoly has been granted mil
lions Of acres of land, the right of
eminent domain and the unchecked
opportunity Of charging "all the traffic
will bear'-that is, as much as can be
squeezed out of the public. The bankers
control the finances Of the country and
exact their pound Of flesh through
special laws in their interest. The in
dustrial trusts and combines have been
fostered and fed by protection from
foreign competition, and, having a mo-
nopoly in this country, their greed has
advanced the price of their products
to almost more than the people can
pay. The trusts combination with the
Republican party has allowed them to
dictate tariff rates so that practically
they control the price Of most Of the
necessities Of life and the luxuries that
are important enough to warrant their
attention.
1t has taken thirty years to build up
this gigantic machine of politicians
and business men, and there has been
no check to their rapacity, except for
two years, 1S93-94, and then only par
TALLY, for the Republicans were again
returned to power in 1894 by the cleo
ton Of a Republican house Of repre-
sentatives, and in 1896 were given
control Of all branches of the govern
ment. If, then, politics has been so
manipulated that the trusts and COM
bines have controlled legislation and
the execution Of the laws, is it wonder
full that they have laid tribute on the
people and collected it?
The question is, will the voters al
low this robbery to continue? They
have the power in their hands to
change the programme-not at once,
for the United States senate, with its
two-thirds Republican majority, stands
In the way of immediate relief, but an
honest majority in the house Of repre-
sentatives can block further depreua-
ton and point the way to reform. The
legislatures that will elect one-third Of
the senate will be elected next year,
and. if controlled by the people instead
of the corporations, would about un-
horse the combination between the
politicians and the trusts and the road
would be open to immediate reform.
The erratic prosecution of the trusts
now being attempted is worthless with
out legislation and the Republican
party has shown for a long series of
years that it thinks more of trust com
bination than Of relieving the people.
The whole political structure is rot
ten and nothing but turning the ras-
Gals out will restore the power to the
people and prevent future looting. Any
party continued in power for nearly
fifty years would probably be no bet
ter.
The only solution for Il republic is
m equalization Of power between the
parties. so that 4 trif1e throws the
balance to the opposition.