Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1914-02-06
THE BocIE-MAN.
cATTLE-MEAT; WHEAr-FLoUR.
By A. B. Deeves.

In seeking to justify MS vote
against the Underwood tariff bill,
Senator Bristow rests his defense up
on the following:
"The meat production in our COM
peting countries is controlled by the
same gigantic packing-house ccm-
bination, and free meat supply gives
this combination the opportunity to
buy cattle in Argentine, manufacture
them into meats at a much less cost
to the packers than if they bought
the cattle in Kansas or Nebraska
The result has been that the Amer1-
can industrial centers are beng leu
with foreign grown meat and Ouf
farmers cattle have been reduced Ill
price to approximately that OF Arsen-
tine cattle, while the price Cd meat
is kent as high as it was before meat
was put on the free list
This is to say
First-That the price OF cattle mas
been reduced.
second-That the price OF catt.e IN
this country and in Argentine is, at
this time, practically the same.
Third-That since packing combin-
atoms exact an extortionate price
for meat the government should ex-
act tribute for the consumer to pay
Taking up these propositions in Or
der, has anybody noticed any mater
ial reduction in the price Of cattle?
Is anybody complaining that catt.e
are too low? Most certainly not. Ev'
erybOdy knows that cattle are high
That is one answer.
And if cattle are high, and if, as
the senator admits, the price OF Ar
genuine cattle is approximately the
same then what have we to fear from
Argentine cattle? -
The third reason assigned, that be-
cause the packers exact an extortion-
ate price for meat the government
should levy a tribute upon the con-
sumer is, when analysed, most as
tonishing. ,.
1t is the same old argument that
we are justified In doing wrong be-
cause, if we don't, somebody else
will. 1t is plainly saying that the
packers will do US and that for this
reason the government should do
u.s. first. This sort OF morals is bad
enough when used by the Individual
to justify his wrongdoing. But for
the government to adopt such morals
is infinitely worse. If gigantic COM
binations exist among the packers, as
the senator says-and no one doubts
that-then it is because the govern
ment has not protected the people
as it should have protected them. If
they exist harmfully it is because the
government has wrOngfully permitted
them to exist and to operate. And
for the government to permit the for
nation, the continuance and the do
mination of such combinations, and
permit them to exact eXtOrtion from
the people whom the government has
not protected, and then for It, IN
stead of removing the evil, to levy
tribute upon its citizens because if n
does not the malefactor whom it per-
mits to exist will do sO-thiS is in
defensible and intolerable. What
would be said Of citizen who, hav-
ing assumed the protection of the
weak, would permit others to wrong
his charge, and then seek to justify
his conduct with the excuse that if
he did not do it the others would?
And yet this is the senator's sole de-
Tense both as to meat and flour. TIE
trusts will get it, he says, and for
this reason the government should
take it. The government should
take the meat from the poor man,
child because If it don't the trusts
which the poor man depends on the
government to protect him from-will
take It. And this is stateeraft?
Craftsmanship? Lord help us! Even
if We knew that the trusts would cen
tiuue to operate as they have been
doing 1t is intOlerable. It is simply
assuming that We are to take to the
woods and let things go on as they
have. Clearly that is what the sena-
tor means; has to mean. If we are
to end the nefarious practices of the
trusts then the argument, his argu-
ment fails. There will no longer ex-
list the argument that the government
may levy tribute because if it DOM
the trusts will do it. The country
is not disposed to follow the senator
to the woods. 1t proposes to prevent
tlo avto,-t;on IF fba trusts II THINKS