Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1905-01-13
10 McDILL'S MUSINGS.
CUMMiNS AND COMBINATIONS.

Governor CumminS, OF Iowa, has turned re-
former. He favors revision of the tari # aud
anti monopoly laws. He says, "Monopoies
are, in the last analysis, socialism.
Competition may be anarchy. Some
where between the two lies the true field tor
the American laborer and producer.
1t is utolerable 10 allow any man or combine
ton of men to fix the price of any commodity. y
In substance, he says that he is not speaking Of
railroads OF any similar public utilities, bu, Of
The p.oducts OF farms, and that if combination
is allowed to 60 on, there is one end for the
government, viz, "the assumption of the right
TO saw what shall be the price Of everything we
buy
| ain not able to see that the Governor is a
oood rrasouer. Modern combination Is the
competition, but competition is not yet dead
The field has been narrowed down, but the
struggle is still on between the giants, and it Is
pauly due to the fact OF the struggles OF the
few powerful that the masses are crushed. A
great many weak competitors may not be as
harmful as the few strong, but the principle is
there, and has only the one tendency OF the
strong crushing the weak. Pass laws against
monopolies if you will, but, since wealth and
the power OF wealth a1e in the bands OF the
few, nothing short of con6scation will put US
on the old basis of competition OF tie many.
1t is impossible to 60 back to the old time OF
Fifty years ago, when there were no lnilionaires,
without some kind Of legislation that will les
sen the present capital OF great corporations,
and so restrict income that there will te no
further accumulation.
Would it not be easier for the whole people
to take possession of all Of certain kinds OF
wealth, and hold, under the forms of govern
ment, To-, the benefit of all, than to attempt a
redistribution of wealth under the old condi-
tious that Invariably lead to the conditions that
the Governor is forced TO admit are 'lntolera-
ebl'? The one is whole garment that will
wear, and the other is the patched, soiled,
blood stained garment OF the ages.
"Competition may be anarchy" We 60
further than the Governor, and say that COM
petition is anarchy in that its results eventuAI ally
DESTROY civilization, a I'd we cannot see that the
combinations Of to-day have any connection
with socialism bevond showing that few men
can accomplish more, and with less cost, acting
in concert, than many men acting each niau
for himself, or independent of all other men
The captains of industry have demonstrated
the feasibility Of socialism; but, in doing SO,
thew have created conditions that are as de.
s,ructiye to civilization as ,yran's, standing
armies. war and taxation, all combined.
The Governor talks about "niddle ground
Middle ground is always debatable ground,
Debate leads to friction; friction to hostility
hostility to force, and force to ''might makes
RIGHT" There is no middle ground between
monopoly and competition, because they are a
part ui the whole.
There are conditions where competition is
less harmful than under other conditions that
NAV, and do, exist: An epidemic of smallpox
IN it's mildest form is less harmful than when
rhe disease is malignant. But smallpox is
smallpox, and when we come to know smallpox
we don't want the disease, in any form.
The Socialist does not want competition il
anv form. The competition Of fifty years age
was not no,iceably harmfuliu America, becadsI