Eastern Colorado times., 1912-09-20
SOLD OUT FOR A SONG.
PRIVILEGE OF EVERY KIND ON
BARGAIN COUNTER.
Cost Of Living Rises but LIeenss TO
Prey on the Psople 10 eseom-
Ing Dirt Cheap.

| q
.heap some things are! The cost Of
living rises, but the price.marks ON
privilege of every kind are low and
tbs tendency IL downward.
We read Of sums that seem large
paid annually to the police system Of
New York for licensing and protecting
vice and crime. Yet what beggarly
valuation is $2,O00.0o0 or $4,000. 900
tor the right to prey upon a city Of
100000 people. containing property
assessed at eight thousand millions!
We read Of Mark Hanna campaign
funds of $6.000.000 or $S,000.000 used
to cajole or corrupt voters and carry
elections. Yet what bagatelles are
these when compared with the things
that they bought, such as the passage
Of laws and the suspension of laws In
nation Of 9O,00O,000!
We shall never know how cheaply
we have been sold by the police sys-
tenn and the extortionate tariff system
until we apply the rules of merchan-
dizing and put prices and commodities
Into contrast. We are not only sold
out and betrayed municipality and ma
tionally, but we are also shamed In
the knowledge that our liberties and
estates have been bargained away for
song.
It has recently appeared that Stand
ard OIL contributed $125.000 to the
Republican campaign fund in 1904 on
the understanding that the money
would be gratefully received" and
appreciated" 1t was asked for an
other donation Of $150.000. which was
refused. Here We have Standard OILS
idea Of the market value of the favor
of the United States government.
When Standard Oil declined to pay
more. 1t is now admitted that the Steel
Trust made good the deficiency. Both
Of these great combinations owe their
lawless lives and most Of the hun
dreds of millions that they have rolled
up in tariff-cornered market to the
favor Of the United States govern
ment.
Daniel G. Roper. chief clerk OF the
ways and means committee of the
house of representatives, estimates
that the tariff tax averages. $120 a
year for every family. OF this sum
only $16 goes into the treasury. The
remaining $104 is absorbed by the
protected interests. He believes that
an honest tariff levied only for public
purposes would save the people nearly
81, 900, 100000 year.
With this colossal plunder in mind,
what is to. be said of Standard OIL
haggling over the price that it was to
pay for the lions share of the graft?
What of Steels willingness to make
good the deficiency? What of the
contemplate $6.000,000 or $4,000, 900
raised by the system to continue in
power the party that gave the United
States government into its control?
! II the privilege Of taxing the people
$4,000, 900, 900 in the interest OF class
were put up at auction we believe
its bid.
II the privilege of suspending the
antitrust law so that 1t might absorb
Its rival, Tennessee Coal and Iron,
were put up at auction we believe that
the Steel Trust would show even great
er liberality.
Thanks to the Mark Hanna system,
the prices of everythi Ag that we eat,
wear and use are rising. 1t is only
the things that should be priceless,
such as right, liberty and justice. that
are on the bargain counter or hawked
about the streets.-St Louis Republic
LOOKING .YEAD
tiI6kA 6SoS-