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OCTOBER IS, 10
The Commoner.
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M - --rr"yW'-W fWi....W.yt.TiH(y, T'MHaaiMiMtfeHamy,
"When Wfll They Have Enough?"
The ' Chicago Tribune, now an ardent sup
porter of Taft and Sherman, printed in Its issue
of February 15, 1900, an editorial that will
bo interesting at this time. This editorial was
entitled "When Will They Get Enough?" The
Tribune pointed out that in the preceding year
tho Carnegie company made. $20,000,000 and
said: "And yet Mr. Carnegio is not satisfied."
Tho Tribune directed attention to the fact that
the Standard Oil company had at the time this
editorial was written just declared a quarterly
dividend of $20,000,000, "and yet," said the
Tribune, "Its directors are not satisfied. They
wish congress to pay subsidies to the ocean
going vessels in whose earnings they have a
share' The Tribune added:
"If there are any other American corpora
tions whose profits were $20,000,000 last year
or promise to be $80,000,000 this year, it may
be taken for granted that the men at tho head
of them are no more satisfied than the Carnegies
and the Rockefellers and are no more scrupu
lous as to the methods of adding to their pos
sessions. There seems, to be no limit to the
rapacity of corporations which have been built
up .at tho expense of the public by excesslvo
tariff protection, by illegal railroad discrimina
tions, or official favoritism. The men who rule
those corporations may not "want tho earth,"
but they certainly want the United States and
the abundance thereof. They and their allies
on land and sea are working at-the entire sub
jugation of the government, so that they may
add more millions to their present annual rev
enues of $20,000,000 In the case of the Carnegie
company and $80,000,000 in the case of the
Standard OIL They try to put their creatures
in alj official places which touch their interests
at any point. They demand subsidies for their
ships. They Insist that the money of the gov
ernment be deposited in banks in which they
are- heavily interested, so they may.be able to
control -the stock markets "and to lend to the
taxpayers the money which the latter have con
tributed to defray government expenses. Their
demands are usually complied with. 'There
are three things that .are never satisfied; yea,
four things say not 'It Is enough That may
have been the case in th.e Hebrew days. Today
they are the Standard Oil company, the Carncgi
company, the sugar trust, the International Navr
igation company, the National City, bank, and
other colossal, corporations which oyershadow
tho government Itself and aro never satisfied.
When will they have enough?"
"When will they have enough?' That Is
a curious question to be asked by an editor who
must certainly understand that so long as human
selfishness prevails men who aro given tho op
portunity to prey upon the people will oxerciso
their privilege to tho limit.
This particular Tribuno editorial was writ
ten in 1900. Slnco then tho trust system has
grown stronger and stronger. It has piled
burden after burden upon tho consumer and no
serious effort has boon made to protect tho
people.
These men will never havo enough If their
own wishes aro considered. They havo already
had more than they are entitled to and the
people have carried moro burdens than they
should carry. Tho people need protection and
they need an administration that may be de
pended upon to provide that protection.
What a striking picture is drawn by tho
Chicago Tribune!
That paper admits that "there seems to bo
no limits to tho rapacity of corporations which
havo been built up at the expense of tho public;
by excessive tariff protection, by Illegal railroad
discriminations or official favoritism." And yet,
we find the Tribune today giving support to
a party that boasts of its inclination toward
"excessive protection," a party that derives its
campaign funds from these greedy and grasp
ing corporations,
This republican paper says that these great
concerns are "working at tho entire subjugation
of the government so that they may add more
millions to their present annual revenues of
$20,000,000 In the case of tho Carnegio com
pany and $80,000,000 in tho case of tho Stand
ard Oil company." And yet, we find tha Tribune
working shoulder to shoulder with these men
whom it has charged with a disposition to sub
jugate the government. . . .
The Tribuno charges that these' men "try
to put their creatures In all official places which
touch their Interests at any point." Yes, and
the Tribuno Is- every day.calling upon tho peoplo
to vote for the candidates supported by these
interests. Confessing that these "colossal cor
porations overshadow tho government itself and
aro never satisfied" the Tribune is' now sup
porting a party which if successful at the polls
will see to it that tho government does not over
shadow these colossal corporations.
THE BACKERS OF HUGHES
., Here are some of the men and Interests
which put up the $313,000" campaign fund on
which Hughes was elected governor:
J. Plerpont Morgan & Co $20,000
John D. Rockefeller, Jr 5,000
Xevi P. Morton . . . . 20,000
Andrew Carnegie ; . . . . 5,000
John W. Gates 2,500
William K. Vanderbiit. . .: .' 1,000
William Nelson Cromwell'". .....".... 1,000
Chauncey M. Depew ." 2,500
John Jacob Astor. ...... .7 1,000
Cornelius Vanderbiit 1.000
George R. Sheldon 500
Charles M. Schwab . 2,000
Edwin Gould i 1.000
H. B. Holllns ' 5.000
J. Borden Harriman. . ; fc. . 1,000
B.M.Wells 5,000
Harvey Fiske & Son 5,500
William P. Clark - 2,500
And many others of the same ilk.
That is tho kind of backing that put Charles
E. Hughes in office.- What were the Morgans,
Rockefellers, Carnegies, Vanderbilts, Sheldons,
Gateses and the rest to get back for their money?
Did they give it for nothing? What do you
think? 0i
Can you suggest a worse line-up of enemljps
of tho people, of haters of the worklngmen, of
rapacious interests and lawless monopolies than
seated Charles E. Hughes in the governor's
chair?
No -wonder that life insurance investigation
slumped. No wonder Hughes vetoed the two
cent railroad fare and the live-cent street car
fare bills. No wonder he turned over the super
vision of corporations to sleepy commissions.
No wonder Ho pitched into the waste basket la
bor's demand for the right of representation. Do
tho people want another two years of it. Wo
trow not. Buffalo .'(N. Y.) Times.
WHERE IiETTERS ARE NEEDLESS
Mr. Roosevelt dismisses Mr. Bryan's letter
as "simply an attack upon him personally."
Therefore there Is "no reason why ho should
answer it." For this relief much thanks. Let
us return to the issues of the campaign which
are not personal but political:
1. Roosevelt's extravagance, which has
brought about two billion dollar congresses In
placo of billion dollar congresses.
2. Roosevelt militarism, imperialism,
jingoism and rough-rlderlsm, under which moro
than sixty-five per cent of the government's
revenues outside the postal receipts are expend
ed for wars past and to come.
3. Roosevelt personal government, which
assails tho judiciary when It disagrees with tho
president and dragoons congress into legislating
his wishes.
4. Roosevelt government by denunciation.
5. Republican partnership with protection,
privilege and plutocracy.
In discussing these issues and presenting
them to the public no democratic candidate need
write letters to. anybody. New York World.
tw tS i 5
MR. TAFT AND THE FACTS AGAIN
On September 24 we called attention to
certain radical errors of fact in a reference mado
by Mr. Taft in his discussion of the tariff of
1894, and we said:
"We appeal to him as an honorable man,
capable, when he chooses, of right thinking,
to re-examine tho facts before he again ventures
to approach this matter."
We aro sorry to say that -Mr. Taft has not
responded to this appeal, which was made with
entire sincerity, in tho Interest of truth alone,
and with a friendly regard for tho reputation of
the republican candidate. At Alexandria, Minn.,
on Monday, he is reported to haye used the fol
lowing words:
'.'When they think of the results of demo-
jCratlo control, of tho lack of prosporlty, of the
business disasters, jwd of tho low prices for -farm
products, and of tbo general business de
pression which wo had undor four years of dem
ocratic rule, and then tako up tho marvolous
prosporlty that wo had In tho last twolvo years
under republican rulo, it is hard to sco why In
telligent men should hcsltato how they should
vote. Mr. Bryan has boon boforo tho peoplo
for tho last twolvo years as candldato of a party
which was responsible for tho Gorman-Wilson
tariff bill that laid overything low, and that sont
prices of wheat bolow fifty cents, and that sent
corn down to twonty-ono cents; that sont oats
down to eighteen cents, and potatoes to twonty
soven cents. Whoro aro they now?"
Thoro Is a publication of tho government
known as tho "Statistical Abstract of tho United
States," published by tho department of com
merce and labor, which deservedly possesses ft
good deal of authority, especially In federal cir
cles, for tho Completeness nnd accuracy of Its
figures. On pago 5G7 of tho latest fssue thcrd
Js table 194, giving tho prices of various corcals
for a scries of years. From this table wo tako
tho following figures of the prlcos of wheat,'
corn, and oats for tho year 1894, tho yoar irt
which tho Wilson tariff bjll was passed, and for
fcaeh'of the succeeding thfee years, during,
which that tariff was Iri forco: '
Wheat. Corn. Oats.'
Year. 'Cents. Cents. Cents.
1894 ; -.Gl' 50.9 37.2
1895 G7 47.7 28.8
1896 78 34.0 23.3
1897.. r. . i. . i- .'05s 31.9 23.
It. will bo noted that 'tho lowest avorago
pricoof oats for" any year, as officially reportod,
during tho oxistenco of tho Wilson tariff was 30
per cent higher than the price namod by Mr.
Taft, that of corn was 50 per cont higher, and
that of wheat was 22 per cent hgher than ho
asserted. Clearly Mr. Taft has been seriously,
and wo think inoxcusably, misled as to his facts.
His explanation of them, as wo havo heretofore
pointed out, Is solf-destrMctlyo. If tho Wilson
tariff "sent down" tho prices of cdrn and oats,
It must bo credited with having sont up tho
prlco of wheat. Tho truth Is that neither tho
ono change nor tho othor can logically or fairly
bo traced to tho operation of tho tariff. New
York Times, Taft Organ.
MR. SHERMAN IN VAUDEVILLE
Tho Chicago Record-Herald, a republican
paper, prints this editorial:
"James S. Sherman, candldato for vico presi
dent, said In an address which ho dolivcrod in
tills city: 'I speak for little Willie as well as my
self.' Tho reference was to Mr. Taft, who is
at ttho head of Mr. Sherman's ticket, and If Mr.
Sherman thought that it was amusing ho wag
mistaken. .Such peasantries ar6 offenslvo when
they come from the baffoons of tho campaign.
They aro grossly improper in a candidate for
vico president, who should never sacrifice the
dignity that- is demanded of him in a painful
effort to bo 'funny.' " .
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' '- ' "
' "MAY BR REDUCED FIFTY PER
0 CENT i '
' . .
On August 23, 1907, Mr. H. E. Miles, 0
chairman of tho tariff committee of tho
National Association of Manufacturers,
wrote to Senator Foraker a letter in 0
0 which Mr. Miles said: 0
"About forty per cent of all tho mem- 0
hers of our association who have by 0
0 i correspondence pronounced for revision 0
declare' in their letters that their own 0
schedules may properly be reduced fifty 0
per cent or moro without hurt to their 0
0 respective industries or o tho country 0
at largo." 0
0 How exorbitant must bo this precious
0 tariff fostered by the republican party 0
0 when even forty per cent of its benefl- 0
& claries, frightened by the rising tldo of
public sentiment, admit that their- own 0
schedules "may properly bo reduced fifty
per cent or more without hurt to their
respective industries, or to the country 0.
0 at large." 0
If the common overy-day experience
of the consumers Is not sufficient to
awaken republican voters to tho iniquity 0
of the existing tariff system surely the
confession in the letter referred to ought
at least to challenge attention and Invite
thoughtful, investigation.
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