West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1909-10-14
THAT EIoHr-slLLloN CROP.
How tho Trusts Through the TarlfS
Get Lions Share.

Kansas City Star. Republican.
Thorc Is relation between the tariff.
and tho crops of the west. On this years
elght-billion-dollar harvest the prosperity
OF tho nation is maintained. And the
tarii is fed ON that prosperity. The tariff
tribute 60 trusts and combinations of
manufacturers is proportioned 90 the
wealth OF the country IL is measured 10
take practically all the margin of produc-
ton over and above tho needs OF the wears
living.
One advcntitiously powerful citizen.
Joseph G.. Cannon, spoke moro sienifl-
cantly than no intended when he said.
we can afford 10 throw In this Jack
kniie"-tho 'jackknifo" being a little
matter of two million dollars year extra
allowed TO a protected monopoly. Here
some and there some, into a few private
pockets, the wealth of the producers of
the country is distributed 10y men who do
not produce IL and who have no more
right to lay their hands upon II and mis-
appropriate 1t under the forms of law than
the trusts who get the bulk of Il would
have the right TO take il burglariously.
Tariff rates which exceed the difference
between the cost of production of manu-
iacturcd articles ut home and the cost of
their production abroad have, of course,
no moro TO do with the production of
the crops, or with the price Of tho crops,
than they have 10 do with the raising of
vegetables on Mars. But these tariff rates
have moro effect upon what becomes OF
the wealth produced, that is, upon its dis
tribution, than any other factor OF mod
ern living. BY the medium of the tariff
the surplus wealth of the country IL 30
absorbed into the control and the actual
possession of the few that the most pro-
ductivc nation on the earth Is practically
held TO hand-to-mouth existence. After
years and years of eight-billion-dolar har-
vests one year of scant crops would throw
the country into financial depression. And
If there were twenty billlion-dolar harvests
for consecutive years the trusts and com
binations Of special interests, fostered and
abetted chiefly by the tariff, would man
age 30 TO concentrate the great body of
that wealth into their own hands that the
mass of thepeople-thc producers-would
have little laid by for period of scarcity.
Now, IL needs not the wise counsel of a
Joseph in Egypt to make provision from
the seven fat years for the seven lean
years TO follow-it needs not that narra-
tive TO teach the plain truth that IL is alb
surd that country Of such productive
ness should depend for it's prosperity on
each years contribution Of wealth. The
improvidence OF that course is all the more
foolish and hateful since the people do
not even have the spendthrift pleasure of
throwing their money away" Tho
money is taken from them for the few to
spend fraction of extravagantly and 10
pile up larger proportion into concen-
trated money power whose influence is
felt outrageously in politics, in congress,
and in social and industrial affairs.
The theory that lac is the best citizen
who makes two blades OF grass grow
where one grew before implies the prin-
ciple that mankind is bettered by his in
dustry. The special privilege interests,
whose system is cemented and held to-
gether by the tariff graft, assume that the
extra blades Of grass were grown for them
and they make good with their assump-
ton, for they get the grass. How long
will the people suffer this monstrous per-
version 30 endure?