Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1908-06-03
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
b POLITICS aaaa &
re- ==OF THE DAY 81
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
49,; = ..ss-;sese-55l11oA se-

- eeSePteu Tue 1nVltatlOn. This Is
new departure In American politics.
Most of these diplomats are monarch
ists-rep representatives of European or
Asiatlc kings. Their influence at a
convention of Republicans would be
ufstinctly evil. The President, as the
mead of his party, should forbid their
attendance and, no doubt, would do SO,
II he We're not himself a monarchlst at
heart There will be no imperialistic
ambassadors at the Denver convention,
'Ihat convention may see At to condemn
the presence of such ambassadors at
chicago; and that may raise new
Issue In our politics.
Prices aud Monopoly.
AS wages are falling and meat and
bread Is costing more, with many peo-
PIE out Of work, 1t Is time to take
STOCK and reckon how to provide for
tile future. The panic and present
business depression has demolished the
Republican theory that the tariff which
protects the trusts promotes prosperity.
Inc high prices the trust have charged
TOT their products was one of the chief
causes OF the panic, and although the
trusts made money, other people had
70 pay 1t us long as they could, but
even the game Of boosting prices can
not prevail Indefinitely, and the ineyi-
table collapse came, much to the con
fusion of the Republican politicians
What Is called business can adapt IT.
self to almost any political conditions
or laws, but 1t requires time to recu-
perate from a breakdown Of conf
dence. and confidence cannot be re-
stored until the business world begins
to make money again and has surplus
profits to invest In new undertakings.
Ihat the cost of living still remains so
near the high point shows the absolute
control Of the trusts Of most Of the
necessities Of life. After former pan
les there has always been period of
low prices, which compensated for re-
duced wages and smaller incomes, and
Increased consumption through cheaper
goods set the wheels of Industry again
turning.
The Steel Trust, the Beef Trust, the
Sugar Trust, the Agricultural Machin.
cry Trust, the Coal Trust, the Paper
Trust, and many other trusts are still
charging the same high prices for their
products us before the panic. The
Railroad Trust indeed has already de-
termined to advance freight rates,
which will naturally compel merchants
TO add to the price of the goods they
sell and groceries and provisions be-
ing heavy goods. will be the first to
suffer; Freight on dry goods and
Clothing, although very high, does not
add SO much to their cost. Over
stocked merchants are selling better
bargains In dry goods and ready. made
clothing, but families with reduced In
comes can hardly take advantage Of
it.
Monopoly and tariff protection upon
which the Republican party is standing
pat, allows these things to be, and
competition which has always been re-
lied Upon to regulate prizes according
to supply and demand, is hardly longer
among the forces to be reckoned with.
1t amounts to very much like suspend
ing the force of gravitation and ex-
pecting things to keep in their places.
Conditions are aggravated by private
monopoly in conjunction with the gov
ernment tariff fayoritism. Cold stor-
age Trusts, and Ice Trusts, and Fruit
Trusts, and Egg Trusts, and Milk
Trusts. all keep up prices. In spite
OF the law private car lines and refrig-
orator car combines still tax the CON
sumner, and the producers and growers
do not get any Of the benefit. =
Many people have regarded the pres
ent Administration as reformers. But
what has been done to relieve the peo-
pie from trust and corporation plum
dering? Has anything been made
cheaper or better, or more lasting from
the laws that have been enacted? The
chief cause Of high prices-the tariff
has NOT; been touched. The same per
centage of extra tariff profit is still
being collected by the trusts and COM
blnes, and the Republican Congress still
stands pat and no proddlng from the
White House on the tariff issue, other
than on wood l.ulp and paper. stlrs 1t
to action.