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a platform such as has been suggested by Mr.
Cleveland."
No one can misunderstand that statement.
If the gold democrats have the majority in the
democratic national convention the democratic
party will declare in favor of tbe single gold
standard and will bo delivered, bound and gagged,
Into tho merciless keeping of the powerful inter
ests that have controlled the republican party and
by that control have dominated tho affairs of tho
nation.
Aro democrats willing that this program shall
be carried out?
JJJ
The Beef Trust's Work,
Representative Martin of South Dakota,
speaking before the house committee on interstate
commerce, made un interesting showing concern
ing tho operations of the beef trust. According
to Mr. Martin's statement tho facts appear to be
as follows:
Tho price of cattle since early in 1903 fell
until last December, when it reached the low
est price in five years.
Tho price of dressed beef during the first
six months of 1903 correspondingly declined:
but about tho 1st of July it began to recover,
and during the fall of 1903 it reached a point,
at wh.ch tho spread botweon tho price or cat
tle and drossed beef was from $12 to ?15-a
differonco greater than any preceding record.
pressed beef is bringing as much now as
In 1901, whilo cattle aro much lower.
Consequently, there is a great loss to
producers of cattle in the west. Many of tho
stockmon have become embarrassed at tho
SSCinfdltl0lJ f affairs' whlcn cannot be
attributed to natural causes.
Tho foreign market for American beef Is
good c(i tho local market is probably the
best in many years.
wn,1?81' X th0 prlce of (lrcsed beef
STmV P5p ?und8 altliough it cost
but $5.17 on tho hoof.
In February, 1901, dressed beef sold at tbe
same price, but beef on the hoof cost ?G50
In one instance a cattle raiser shinned a
consignment to tho Chicago stock yards lie
found no competition whatever, and, in fact
tho absenco of a real market Thin n?S
raiser called upon tho varic . i ooLeras w
secured a bid from only one. HSy ac
copted this. His curiosity had been arousS
and ho resolved to see what the Reason was
that thoy did not bid. That night the steers
sold to the one firm by this cattle raiser worn
separated into seven equal lots an" diK
buted among tho seven different coScorns
In tho faco of this showimr what rtn h,
publicans purpose doinc? ? n 1 , e re"
that something mus? be 225. u1' hWfcver'
tense at remedying ft LS ,by way " a Pre"
vided for a,rInv?st?enHni a,wS they have Pro"
sarily, long drawn out , V11 be' neces-
investigation caus0 tZJLhoU umM7
set forth in iKnei? ni ff "11 already cIeary
at Chicago I l S fllGd in the federal court
thoyIt;0xnrdcat,o iv'riv1
commence crifi SJjL general to
of those different tristmna,uluca11 every one
of justice, under the crimiSof8 beloro a court
man anti-trust aw ClimIual clause of the Sher-
r
Mr,
JJJ
TOO Much Yrtxxr
r blSKSPcc!i house of represent,,
-. i,u uj. ooutll Dakota RnlH. ,IT ,v-'
one who goes into hysteria ..- I80 nt
irust' is mentioned hfl .,.. u "IO Lne word
ar ls: swift
m-tsZ!!!8 NoneottX'; TV", a
como to stay. Tho im he trust has
informed regard ft? &3FJT'. W0"
It is disposed to take a mnS Ifi tho trust'
. dnrtrU combination, reeoenlz nc if th ta"
evolution ot cotons CSuS ,
The Commoner.
cheapening of the processes of production
and distribution, and for an invasion of for
eign markets against formidable competitors.
"But the question is 'Will the trusts let
the rest of us stay?' Will they completely
and entirely disregard the consumer? Will
they combine in such a way as to fix and
control the prices of the manufactured prod
uct? If they do, the monopoly thus created
is so clearly a menace to the people as to
leave no loubt regarding the necessity for
federal regulation and control of such com
bines." If it be true that tho trusts have come to
stay, then why protest against the inevitable
consequences of the trust system? The Record
Herald confesses the serious results of the trust
system when it says: "Tho questipn now is,
'Will the trusts let the rest of us stay'?"
If tho trust has come to stay, then so long
as human selfishness exists the men in charge of
the trusts will uso their power for selfish advant
age. They will say just what they will pay for
the things they must buy on the one hand, and
on tho other hand they will say just what must
be paid for the things they sell; and the people
will be ground between the upper and the nether
milestone.
Tlf the situation has progressed so far that
the question now is, "Will the trusts let the rest
o. us stay' then it is high time the "rest of us"
were doing something in the way of self-defense.
Relief is not to be obtained by telling these
t3e rtI,ey may conspire m restraint of
trade, that they may destroy the laws of compe
tition, provided their conspiracy and their de
ce J"! only to a "reasonable" extent.
have'no ht w and , ?e beef tn,st agnates
SX vS Vi theif pini011' been unreasonable;
and yet, the people have complained bitterly of
the actions of these men. iy l
mn,,T?n pUlic interests suffer whenever a few
men have the power to fix prices Privnto 1
nopoly is intolerable and cannot be defended"
?w ihUgh tlle defense be made on the nlea
us siay.' whether they will let thp rps nr o
S. d0I,cna3 u much mtrTrac wm
his tanlf wf11 tQ,a An,rew Jsn that
uenc um Hickory" renHprh tp .,., i iai
make and unmake fi' and ZT?K Cm, '
unmake nrpqirtontc a ,, d can make and
annytCBtoJSifvit11118 t0 much p5wer'
uy tiie eternal. I n veto your charter. "f
suclrS proUtionsS t!;aV STn t0
is: "Will tho trnifi i5 at ths cluestio now
intelSten mnSt'S-; T
any degree? ttJdA recognized in
strong arm' ol J the law b destro by the
JJJ
Cost of Imperialism.
bill SenaSo0? i appropp,allon
marks which ought to aUract a fow re"
ion. He objected to the J H?l att
uying mat to carrv nut 7i , ,uvi" Hoard,
would soon reS'0t0Sen(SIans "' board
thought that it mlRht nK Vev anm,m- Ho
000,000 next year? He Si! M mUCh r
a.m'p1'1d0?hCerinleaPl"aTa, "" M
Ms complete horizon o Wm ?hnavy hom
O'-ythlng and the i naval hAhl nav ls v
mueh In tho dlreeuSS S ii ?m haa rlm too
some wn.. J?. on of enormous shln iZ
farmer bo"S to Vra Le thf?,are "
kins. They don't want a?eS n, In"nP
"any to exeel the iSteaXel" " w G,N
navy0fln0h?Worldna,rt ?Cer want the blg8est
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"'VOLUME 4, NtJJ1DER
The exploiters who are "rWiA t .
will get rich; army contra tors 1 V10 Jnla
railroads and steamships win nrofi. n?ake mo"r
tation charges; shipbuilders S by transpor"
of armor plate will fatten tho Tnmm
and a lot of new officers wl find n? lucwS
and the people will foot tho bills n, ? Positlo3!
as imperialism Is, when measuiS i, vi
cents the greatest injury Is that (,0llars l
honor and reputation of the nation 5? to the
Bympathizo with tho oppressed I anvwhnV cant
being rebuked by the oppressor y,nre wltllut
emphasize at home principles St w W can,1
Jjig in the Orient. The democratic vl
the .subject .is being vindicated hv 1,08,Uon n
sooner or later it. will bo SS? ?yi e"ents aM
try. If the democra c lladeS won,V the con
a little moral courage and chaMen J nlly sho
licans to defend the moral nrfe lh? repub
in their policies we would soor .?? m involved
lJcans on the defensive Instead o M, "e repub
of strength to our" nation the phi?innig a source
source o weakness. They wonlS P,n?, are a
attack immediately if hS ,be ?u bject to
foreign war and the L8 ? a
our earpet-bas government HeretoWP ag?Inst
been invincible and have been saved T havo
longer tW9 Crlminal ana COstly Ml, continue
JJJ
Why Not?
AArcader The Commoner directs aitenH
lion dollar appropriation for the praa-tta r
o"af theansaa,tPSt Sfrjf ?f
EM threimSa l r W ssursg
editorial ,Kn,L?1- s reader encloses an
Tniii-nni i . S m Lue J-ouisville Couuer-
of t'heh?am UJryf ertInent y something
case nf f !SOrt ha not- been no in the
been eyaM?ia?er c,0Inbinations which havo
ers Whn g e?cessIve Prices from consum
tioi in naiifnrnhnapP?ne to a litLle combina
- heard ouS hi t f Mch few People ever
and arpSit to havo ,haPPened to the largo
mad e fffectivn S?01163' if Ule law is to e
was IntondP? S r the p"rPses for which it
telvSJi Vs liard t0 belIeve that there
is any intention to strike the big fellows "
TheTCommonpleri:JOUrnal ls ennently co"rect.
Public atSnn haSn 5 everaI occasions directed
lion to enforce tt?0the.fa1e of the adminislra
trust hw a f h? criminal clause of the aiili
mt the protect L8traU? pPentatives boast
vided matPWn? S-g? ?gainst the saIt trust pio-
tru why woii 1id ? u! the pubIic' Tha S
InaTind ctSt ain w S? prR?er to use the cr,m"
whoi Jl88a,nst,the other an larger trusts
managers conspire against the people?
heedless Investigation.
has mSd5f 8fn?nIII,?,,ttee oli Interstete commerce
introduced vS'eport on tho solution
totoaiM&JI?1 Martfn of South Da
hor to investfoS? tf eretary commerce ana la
beef cattle snnl tV2 c-,ause of the lQw Prices of
e Asa U'SsT t0 determni
PromptlyaadoSS faJ tbIs res'oltIon will be
motive of n, ',"' of course, whatever the
merely to delnJ t?dU,Cdf may be' Its effect w111 ho
relief. Theni i brlneinS about of substantial
the existencfi V n,eed of an investigation a& to
general mad li 5?? trust for attorney
ings agaSSt thi in tbe function procced-
does exSS ite15 house iat such a ti ust
of commerce m ?f CtlIIIng upon lh? secretary
would 1 S betto? ?bP. to lnvestiSte the house
ney general In I lt 8hou,d caI1 "Pn the attor-
Shlman ant tiwrG' the minarSianse of the
Nothing but : ii2 fc law agalnst tlle eef combine.
Provide a ronJ,g rUs crItoal prosecution will
These tS;?y'n Sy(? cases as these.
iunctioiis? They SS2J08 f r, thJng for In"
comparative J ,? 'Qt serlously disturbed bj a
know? howetSf If they were made t0
law of the rS' uiat 96y coulr "ot folate the
PrisonmeSt Xv1 iBKpay,ne tbe penalty of lnl
ways. ' they would, very soon mend their
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