The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-08-25

Fourth. reduction in wages follows
wherever conditions will permit.
Competition protects the purchaser.
for when number Of Independent
producers stand ready to supply him
with what he needs, he can choose be-
tween them and buy from the one
who offers the best product at the
lowest price. He is also protected in
quality because those who compete
for the opportunity to sell to him
must show either advantage in price
or advantage in quality. COMPETE
ton protects the man who produces
raw material, for when there are a
number Of bidders for that which is
being sold. he can accept the high
est price offered. Competition also
helps the wage-earner, for his skill is
the finished product which he offers
upon the market, and where a number
of Independent industries are en-
deavoring to secure the highest skill,
the skilled laborer has the best as
surance Of obtaining a fair re-
compense; when there is but one en-
ployer, the emp1oye must take the
price offered. because he will lose the
advantage Of his experience if he must
go on to find a different kind of en-
ployment-
Business Men Felt the Pressure.
The business men of the country
have felt the pressure OF the trusts.
The retailer has been compelled to en-
ter into contracts which restrict his
management of his own affairs, he has
found the terms Of sale and payment
changed to his disadvantage and he
has been forced to carry more and
more Of the risks Of trade. He is
convinced that there are no good
trusts and that his only safety is in
the Democratic plan which lays the
axe at the root of the tree.
The travelling men naturally take
especial interest in the trust ques-
ton, because the more complete the
monopoly secured by a corporation
the less they are needed. We have
no more intelligent class than the
their retirement from the road would
mean a serious loss to the country
while few promoters would be the
only persons benefited. they gaining by
the capitalization Of the salaries
saved by the elimination of competi-
ton.
Mr.. Taft either misunderstands or
misrepresents the Democratic position
in regard to the determination of the
principle of private monopoly. In his
notification speech, he says:
"Mr. Roosevelt would compel the
trusts to conduct their business in
lawful manner and secure the benefits
of their operation and the mainten-
ance Of the prosperity of the country
Of which they are an important part:
while Mr.. Bryan would extirpate and
destroy the entire business in order to
stamp out the evils which they have
practiced."
Here is a confession by Mr.. Taft
that he regards the trusts as necessary
to the nations prosperity. for he de-
clares that they play an important
part in the maintenance of prosperity,
and he charges that 1 would "extir-
pate and destroy" business in extirpat-
ing and destroying the principle of pri-
vate monopoly Surely. his study of
the trust question has been very su-
perficial IL he sees danger in the res
toration of q reign Of competition.
An Illustration.
Let us take an illustration: Suppose
the Democrats succeed in the enact
ment of a law In harmony with the
Democratic platforms law requiring
every corporation to take out a fed
eral license before 1t Is permitted to
control twenty-five per cent of the
business In which 1t is engaged. Would
this 'extirpate and destroy" the bust
ness of the country? As already stat
ed, but a very small per cent of the
corporations would be affected by the
law, and those affected would be the
ones that have been giving the officers
of the law SO much trouble during the
last eighteen years. AS the licensed
corporation increased its business
from twenty-five per cent to fifty per
cent, 1t would be under the watchful
eye of the government, would be COM
PEELED to make such reports as the
government required, would be pro-
hibited from watering its stock and
would be required to sell to all Gus
toners upon the same terms. due al
lowance being made for cost Of trans
portation. Would IL "extirpate and
destroy business to require these IL