The weekly herald. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 1906-19??, 1908-09-03

uuNNh lhN lnhlNlluli lpl Nh'H Nh'lN
are a number OF bidders for that
which is being sold he can accept
the highest price offered. Compete
ton also helps the wage-earner lor
his skill is the finished product which
he offers upon the market, and
where a number OF independent in
dustres are endeayoring TO secure
the highest skill the skilled laborer
has the best assurance OF obtaining
fair recompense; when there is but
one employer, the employe must take
the price offered, because he will
lose the advantage OF his experience
II he must 30 out to find a different
kind OF employment.
The business men OF the country
have felt the pressure OF the trusts.
The retailer has been compelled TO
enter into contracts which restrict
his management Of his own affairs,
he has found the terms OF sale and
payment changed to his disadvant-
age and he has been forced to carry
more and more OF the risks Of trade.
He Is convinced that there are no
good trusts ana that his only safety
is In the Democratic plan which lays
the axe at the root OF the tree.
The travelling men naturally take
special interest in the trust question,
because the more complete the mo-
nopoly secured by a corporation the
less they are needed. We have no
more intelligent class than the rep
resentatives OF commerce, and 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 compe-
tition. sE'~sH has{Nl
Mr.. Taft either misunderstands or
misrepresents the Democratic posi-
ton 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 a
lawful manner and secure the ben.
efits OF their operation and the main
tenance OF the prosperity of the coun-
try of which they are an important
part. while Mr.. Bryan would extir-
pate 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 neces-
sary to the nations prosperity, for he
declares that they play animportant
part in the maintenance OF prosper
ity, and he charges that would "eE-
tirpate and destroy" business in ex-
tirpating and destroying the princi-
pie Of private monopoly. Surely, his
study OF the trust question has been
very superficial, II he sees danger in
the restoration OF a reign OF COM
petition.
Let us take an illustrations Sup
pose the Democrats succeed In the
enactment OF law in harmony VITA
the Democratic PLATFORM law re-
curing every corporation 10 take out
a federal license before 1t Is permit
ted to control 25 per cent of the
business in which it is engaged.
Would this "extirpate and destroy"
the business OF the country? AS al
ready stated, but very small per cen
OF the corporations would be affect
ed 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 eigh-
teen years. AS the licensed eoTpo-
25 per cent to so per cent, it would
be under the watchful eye of the gov
eminent, would be compelled to
make such reports as the govern
ment required, would be prohibited
from watering its stock, and would
be required to sell to all customers
upon the same terms, due allowance
being made for cost of transporta-
ton. Would it "extirpate and de-
stroy" business to require these IL
censed corporations 10 do business
on an honest basis and to be rea-
sonable in their business methods?
Would not the benefit accruing to
the ninety-nine small corporations
thus protected from consciouless
methods be enough to offset any evil
effects that might follow from such
restraint Of a few big corporations?
Is business so dependent upon dis
honesty and unfalrness that it would
be "eXtlrpated and destroyed" IL mo-
rails were introduced into It? When
the licensed corporation reached
point where it controlled one-half Of
the business in which it was engaged,