NOVEMBER 101905 "
cjmpany, and who bought it for thorn under
njvor. This fact became known some months
Liter. The International Harvester company also
bought the Minne Harvester company of Minne
apolis, Minn. In February, 1903, they bought
i . crotly, the plant and business of D. M. Osborne
Co., of Auburn, N. Y., but this did not become
lcnown to thostrade for eighteen months. During
this period, they advertised tho Osborne company
si., an independent company, and their advertise
ments bitterly attacked "the Harvester trust. A
tfreat many dealers and farmers who were in
( lined to turn down trust goods, were induced to
laito up the Osborne goods, ou tho strength of
Uie assurance that they were independent goods
and did not belong to the trust. The trade were
m ignorance of the true state of affairs until
October 20, 1904, when the Implement Age ex
posed the whole deal and related facts which the
Harvester trust later admitted.
TN THE FALL OF 1904 the International Har
Jl vester company bought the plant and business
of the Keystone company of Sterling, III., inde
pendent manufacturers of harvesting machines.
They also made this deal secretly and advertised
tho company as an independent company, and
their advertisements were even more bitter against
the Harvester trust than the advertisements of
the Osborne company had been. Thus, the dealers
and farmers were again hoodwinked and induced
to take on trust goods, thinking that they were
independent. The facts of the Keystone deal did
not become known until the filing of the Swift
bill against the International Harvester company
in Chicago a few months ago. The Harvester
mist has since admitted the Keystone deal. This
makes nine companies which the International
Harvester company has absorbed, and leaves
only four independent companies in the field,
The Commoner.
Hnnnf W " OtiOn Of the fetOriM-
tlonal Harvester company, thero were thirtoon in
dependent companies In the field, and competl-
SSSii vey 0rco' the (loa,er8 and formers
getting the full benefit of tho competitive fight.
I no international Harvester company of America,
in their advertisement, have claimed that they
are doing ninety per cent of tho harvesting ma-
chinery business of tho country, and have so
stated in many of their letters.
BRIEFLY STATED, tho case as presented by
the Implement Ago, is this: "In a fiercely
competitive field, where thero were thirteen com
petitive companies, a little group of men con
spired together to destroy competition, and they
have already taken nine companies from the
field, and have secured" in the neighborhood of
ninety per cent of the business, controlling the
prices and tho output in a very large measure.
Until this fall, they have had what is called an
exclusive agency contract, which made the dealer
who handled their machines, agree that lie would
handle no similar machines made by other manu
facturers. Michigan, however, passed an exclu
sive contract law prohibiting such an agreement,
and other states are contemplating similar meas
ures, so this fall, the Harvester trust put out a
contract which eliminated entirely this exclusive
clause. Their power, however, is such, and their
control of the trade is strong enough to enable
them to enforce what was practically accom
plished by the exclusive clause, and the same re
sult is now secured verbally through their travel
ing representatives."
THE DUMMY SALE and purchase of $800,000
of mercantile marine bonds made by
George W. Perkins on behalf or the New York
Life, to George W. Perkins on behalf of J. P.
Morgan & Co., for tho purpose of "window dross
ing," tho Now York Life's report to the state
insurnnce department was parallel to tho offense
which roaiilted in the conviction of tho Into
Whitaker Wright, tho English financier In Lon
don, on January 11, 1904. A wrltor in tho Now
York World says that this view is sustalnod bv
eminent lawyers. This writer adds: "Thoro 18
a general belief that 'window drosslng' by cor
porations is not an offense here; but in tho same
Whitaker Wright case tho United States supromo
court decided that it is an offense undor the lawn
of New York sUUo. Whitaker Wright was ar
rested in this city and lodged in Ludlow street
jail. He retained Samuel Vntormyor to fight the
extradition proceedings brought against him by
tho British government. Tho case was- carried
up to tho United States supremo court. Tho
records show that Mr. Untcrmyer based his argu
ment against extradition on the fuct that the
treaty between the two count ties provided that
a person could only bo extradited on a criminal
charge where the laws of both countries made
the act complained of a crime. Mr. Unlermyor
asserted there was no federal law against 'win
dow dressing,' and that only six of all tho states
in tho union had legally provided against It.
The United StitteB supremo court finally decided
that '.window dressing' or the making of a false
or deceptive report by a corporation was a crime
under the laws of New York state and that as
Whitaker Wright was arrested and held In Now
York state it was proper for him to be extradited.
Had Whitaker Wright been arrestee', in any of tho
thirty-nine states which had made no provision
against 'window dressing ho could not have boon
extradited. In view of the ruling of the United
States supreme court on 'window dressing,' thero
is much curiosity in tho financial dinfrict over
the possibility of action by the authorities on Mr.
Perkin's admissions."
OKLAHOMA AND THE PRIMARY PLEDGE
Oklahoma stands fifth in the number of
primary pledges returned to The Commoner
office. The, , Commoner thanks, the democrats of
Oklahoma .'for ,,tke good work they ,. have done
along the. lines pi. .the primary , pledge plan of
organization.- Tljose,., Oklahoma democrats who
have alr:ady assisted are invited to renew their
activities, while the many who have not partici4
pated in this good work are urged to lend a
hand.
The appeal which The Commoner has made
to the democrats of Missouri, of West Virginia,
of Illinois and of .Ohio it now makes to the
democrats .of Oklahoma. Every Oklahoma reader
of The Commoner is requested to ask every Okla
homa democrat of his acquaintance to sign the
primary pledge and call upon his own neighbor
to do likewise. If a. number of democrats of
every Oklahoma county would organize for the
purpose of circulating the primary pledge form
in every precinct, obtaining the signature of every
democrat who is ' willing to discharge his duty to
his party, the field would be covered in a short
time, and the results would count. Oklahoma
democrats are reminded that this work of organ
ization is not to terminate with the signing of
the pledge. The . intere&t of democrats once
aroused Is to be maintained, clubs are to be or
ganized in every county of the state and in every
precinct of the country, these clubs having for
their purpose' the promulgation of democratic
principles and the protection of the democratic
creed from those who would destroy it.
me five subscription cards and a hundred pledges.
I wish you success.
Silas A. Cline, Danville, Ind. You will find
enclosed a list of the-names of those 'who signed
the1 primary' pledgeV' All ''expressed" the opinion
that the thing to do Is to atten'd all the pri
maries. 'Some of them' said ''tiiit, ft we had at
tended the primaries Mr. Parker would ,not have
carried the vote of Indiana at the St. Louis con
vention. P. T. Anderson, chairman democratic execu
tive and central committee, St, Clairsville, O.
I take pleasure in mailing you three primary
pledges. I consider The Commoner the greatest
defense, of the people.
Martin Graham, Granda, Colo. Enclosed find
my primary pledge.
Eck Brady, Stewardson, 111. I send you my
primary pledge.
Jame3 Dailey, Kerby, Oregon Enclosed find
my primary pledge.
F. M. Hall, Mehama, Oregon I send four
signatures to the primary pledge.
J. Y. Lynch, Weston, W. Va. Please find
enclosed primary pledge signed by twenty-four
democrats. With the list I sent you recently,
this makes sixty in all. May this good work
go on. May Tho Commoner be read by many
thousand mere democrats.
Austin Holmes, New Harmony, Ohio En
closed find fourteen primary pledges signGd by
as good democrats as there are in tho state of
Ohio, to each of whom I wish you would send a
copy of your valuable paper.
Edward E. Tracy, attorney, Cheyenne, Okla.
Enclosed find the democratic primary pledge
which I have signed. The Commoner is highly
esteemed by tho democracy of western Oklahoma
and we are glad to endorse its patriotic efforts
for reform.
Virgil Six, Abilene, Texas.- Please find en
closed $1.35 for which you will please extend
my subscription to Tho Commoner. I am doing
all I can to push the democratic movement, and
I believe we will elect a democrat in 1908. I
send you two more primary pledges signed by
old friends of mine. This makes four signers I
have secured.
J. E. Warner, Findlay, Ohfo Enclosed find
primary pledge. I hope to be able to vote for
a good democrat in 1908. Success to The Commoner.
Extracts from letters received at The Com
moner office follow:
Ole Helgesen, Washington, Calif. -I send you
twenty primary pledge signatures.
Wille Viley, Lexington, Ky. Enclosed find
twenty signatures to the' primary pledge.
I. H. Denton, Ingram, Tex. Enclosed find
thirteen pr! ary pledges, my own having been
sent in sometime ago.
A. S. Warren, Centerville Station, N. Y. I
am sixty-six years old and have neve.- failed to
vote the democratic ticket. I think The Com
moner is doing great work for the people. I
endorse the primary pledge plan.
James Smyzer, Moberly, Mo. You will find
enclosed the names of fifteen good democrats.
These are democrats who are always in the
front ranks for the principles of democracy. All
we ask is that the democrats )f the nation
nominate a democrat instead of a galvanized
republican. If .the democrats do this we will
pull off. our coats and roll up our sleeves and give
alia 65,000 majority in Missouri Please send
THE PRIMARY PLEDGE
I promise to attend all the primaries of my party to be held between now and
the next Democratic National Convention, unless unavoidably prevented, and to use
my influence to Becure a clear, honest and straightforward declaration of the party'a
position on every question upon which the voters of the party desire to speak.
Signed
Street.
Postoftice.
State.
County.
Yoting precinct or' ward.
T Fill out Blanks and mail to Commoner Office, Lincoln, Nebraska.
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