Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1908-06-04
YEARS MORE?
SHALL THE PARTY OF MoNoPo-
LY BE KEPT III PoWERr
Time Now for the Voters to Determine
to Put an End to Legalized
Robbery by Tariff-Pro-
tected Trusts.

As wages are falling and meat and
bread are costing more, with many
people out of work, it is time to take
stock and reckon how to provide for
the future. The panic and present
business depression have demolished
the Republican theory that the tariff
which protects the trusts produces
prosperity. The high prices the'trusts
have charged for their products was
one of the chief causes of the panic,
and although the trusts made money
other people had to pay it as long as
they could, but even the game or
boosting prices cannot prevail indef-
nitely, and the inevitable collapse
came, much to the confusion Of the Re-
publican politicians. What Is called
business a adapt itself to almost any
political conditions or laws, but it re-
quires time to recuperate from a
breakdown of confidence, and conf
dence cannot be- restored until the
business world begins to make money
again and has surplus profits to invest
in new undertakings. That 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 panics there has al
ways been a period of low prices.
which compensated for reduced
wages and smaller incomes, and in
creased consumption, though cheaper
goods set the wheels of industry again
turning.
The steel trust, the beef trust, the
sugar trust, the agricultural machinery
trust, the coal trust, the paper trust,
and many other trusts are still charg.
ing the same high prices for their pro
ducts as before the panic. The rail
road trust, indeed, has already deter
mined to advance freight rates, which
will naturally compel merchants to
add to the price of the goods they sell,
and groceries and provisions being
heavy goods, will be the first to suffer.
Freight on dry goods and clothing, al,
though very high, does not add Sc
much to their cost. Over-stocked mer'
chants are selling better bargains in
dry goods and ready-made clothing
but families with reduced incomes can
hardly take advantage of it.
Monopoly and tariff protection, upon
which the Republican party is stand.
ing pat, allows these things to be, and
competition, which has always been
relied upon to regulate prices accord,
ing to supply and demand, is hardly
longer among the forces to be reck
oned with. 1t amounts to very much
like %suspending the forco of gray!ta
ton and expecting things to keep in
their right places.
Conditions are aggravated by pri
vate monopoly in conjunction with the
government tariff favoritism. Cold
storage trusts and milk trusts all KEEP
up prices. In spite of the law private
car lines and refrigerator car com
bines still tax the consumer, and the
producers and Growers do not get any
of the benefit.
The nomination of a president anC
congressman is now taking place, anc
unless there is a new deal the same
old pretense of doing things and vel
standing pat will be continued for the
next four years. You may adapt YOU
circumstances to the present unsatis
factory conditions, as the business Of
the country undoubtedly will, but why
not persist in reforms that you know
you will benefit by? Are you willing
to be %plundered forever by the tariff
protected trusts?