THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT
Trusts The Cause and Cure
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There is wisdom among many coun
sellora. The Independent might se
cure and publish profound disserts
tions on the cause of and cure for
trusts, from men of great reputation as
economists;, but it believes thaCamong
It3 twenty thousand subscribers it has
a great many who can in a few, words
tell where the trouble lies. The econ
omist's opinion might be weighty and
learned but in practical politics it is
backed up by but one vote, the, same
as the opinion of the hurnbiest reader
of The Independent. Lyceums, debat
ing societies, and kindred organiza
tions which encourage an interchange
of opinion, are of undoubted benefit;
and there can be no doubt that an In
terchange of ideas through The Inde
pendent upon this question of vital im
portance will be beneficial.
REFERENDUM AND INITIATIVE.
Editor Independent:. My views of
the trust evil and some remedies.
First, enact a system of direct legis
lation through the referendum and in
itiative, so that the people might vote
for laws and amendments at the polls.
Second, Land monopoly might be re
strained by Henry George's plan of
single taxation, by the government
buying the land with greenbacks to be
issued by the government. The land
to be re-sold to actual settlers for
payments of these greenbacks and a
quit claim deed given in exchange.
Third, the money trust could be dis
solved by the free coinage of silver
and gold. I think free coinage could
be enacted without the aid of any for
eign nation. And then the establish
ment of a United States savings bank
system, such as was proposed by Sena
tor Butler of North Carolina a few
years ago. Readers of The Independent
will understand what the Butler sav
ings bank system would be when in.
use.
As to other trusts, they would be
dissolved by national ownership of the
land system and national savings
banks.
Trusts are an outgrowth of customs
house duties, whether for protective
tariff on revenue only. Both are equal
ly bad policies and are tiust creative.
The government could derive revenue
from a property taxation.
With government ownership of the
land and banking system, the trusts
would have to pay interest on the
money they use, and without a protec
tive tariff could not undersell com
petitors in trade, and for these rea
sons would be forced out of business.
The referendum and initiative should
be the paramount issue of the plat
form to be drafted by the reform par
ty in 1904. IRL DEAN.
Marion, la.
HANG THE TRAITORS.
Editor Indapendent: We want no
remedy for the trusts or mergers.
They are linguistic thaumaturgies
that is all. People with ideas upon
such subjects can ill afford to be
longer fooled by such phrasing.
The truth needs to be known that
our struggles are with the legislation
of the corporations. T!e question is
this: can corporations ever be allowed
to have a legal existence?
The Sherman law and the state laws
that propose their regulation by that,
fact give corporations a legal stand
ing in courts. They are there a per
sonality, exercising human rights
through their human agents. The
non-human principle becomes a fort
behind which the irresponsible agent
can give battle.
Corporations are unknown to the
federal constitution. In direct viola
tion of the. compact entered into by
the people, their organic act the dec
laration that cannot without its abro
gation admit of any rights not human.
The remedy: Bring treasonable
courts, congressmen, and legislators,
who have deliberately violated their
oaths to support the declaration and
under it the constitution, and the mili
tary officers, national or state, that
have violated theirs by shooting down
human beings in defense of corporation
property to the gallows for their trea
son. Judgment at least is demanded
for their treason.
II. ELLINGSTON.
Minnehaha, Minn.
NO REMEDY.
There is no remedy for the trusts,
at present, as nine men out of every
ten would buy stock in some company,
if he wai sure of profits. Afterwards,
if his company Would combine with
other companies, working along the
same lines, he would still keep his
stock or exchange for shares in the
new company.
Before he knew it, he would be a
stockholder in some trust If dividends
commenced, he would secretly rejoice
that, he was having a better income
than his neighbor.
He would want nothing done to in
jure his company.
His neighbor might belong to some
other trust and he would not want
any legislation that would injure his
company.
Men, at the time of their election
to the legislature or to congress, are
generally of middle1 age or past and
they have seen the years slipping past,
without reaching the financial circum
stances that they had set their hopes
on twenty years before.
Everything is run by money and af
ter a man becomes a legislator it is
hard to refuse any extra increase of
income.
If legislation, adverse to the trusts,
was enacted, it would not be enforced
or if it was and the trusts were
fined, they could easily make up the
fine by advancing prices or lowering
wages.
Speculative trusts are formed un
der the names of "pools" or "funds" to
control speculative operations. Such
trusts are formed by combining the
capital of a great many men and their
aim is to control the market and keep
the other fellow from making a prof
it. Capital . has such a firm grip on
this country that it3 power is liable
not to be shaken until the end comes
in war or the downfall of the nation.
W. II. SEWARD.
Conneautville, Pa.
DIVISION OF LABOR
Farmers Denied the Benf lit of Improved
Methods of Production- "Onghtn't
to Eat Cracker"
Editor Independent: In a former
letter I called your attention to the
price of wheat in the west where 1 was
two years ago and the price of crack
ers. The farmer was getting 90c to
$1 per 100 pounds for his wheat, or
about 1 cent a pound. Common crack
ers were selling in the store for 10c
for common and 15c per pound for
fancy from the Biscuit trust, or ten
to fifteen time3 more than wheat in
its raw state, so that three pounds of
fancy crackers would pay for forty
five pounds of wheat in its raw state
from the farmer, or nearly enough to
make a barrel of crackers.
I called the attention of some par
ties there to this fact and they said
the farmers had no business to buy
crackers; that they should make their
own crackers. "Yes," I said, "but the
farmers do not know how to make
crackers; it's a trade." "Well," the
fellow said, "if the farmers don't know
how to make crackers, d n the farm
erslet them eat hay." "This," I said,
"is what you are trying to bring them
to if possible; outside the farmer, the
world- would be no poorer if the farm
er were compelled to eat hay; but the
farmer would be both physically and
financially poorer, and it was the
farmer 1 was talking about."
While the trusts, combines, manip
ulators, speculators, banks, profes
sionals, etc., are protected by state
laws and tariff laws, tariff laws keep
out foreign competitors, enabling the
trusts and manufacturers to double the
price of their products on the farmer,
at the same time the government is
bringing over thousands of imigrants
and giving them 160 acres of land
each, to make competitors for the
American farmer, and lower prices for
farm products, making millionaires on
the one side and poverty on the other,
while the farmer is the main spoke in
the wheel. At present the eastern
states are affected more particularly
than the western, but the western
states are beginning to feel the pres
sure as well.
To show I know something about
this, will state some stubborn facts in
my own experience: I recently sold
a farm in the west, once valued at
$2,500, for $800. I just sold another
that was valued at $6,G00 for $1,600,
with one-fourth interest in an irrigat
ing ditch four miles long. I offered
another for $800 that was once valued
at $3,500. We split on the price and
I have it still the man offered me
$750 has abundance of water, owning
four shares in an irrigating ditch; alt
these farms were formerly No. 1 wheat
lands. They have springs of natural
gas near the last mentioned farm and
am now prospecting for oil with a
fair show of success in that vicinity;
on this account, this farm Is not in
the market for farming purposes at
present.
They say it's not always best (even)
to tell the truth, but these are stub
born facts all the same. Might say
mey were sold at about one-third to
one-rourtn their former valuation.
This Is one difficulty the fanners
nave to contend with. If they have a
aouDie crop or what would be the same
as two crops In one year, they must be
disposed of within the year just the
same at whatever price can be had, on
account of the perishable nature of the
iarmers products. Apples, potatoes,
all vegetables, butter and eggs, even
wheat com and oats, are liable to
damage and will not keeD lone.
I have
there was an overproduction of ap-
pies ana potatoes and there was no
market for them at anv nri,-e ami
thousands of bushels were either given
away or thrown away.
Then the farmers have everything
to contend with the- wind and the
weather, too wet or too dry, too hot
or too cold; there is a worm, insects,
bug or fly for every living plant
fruit and vegetable; there are rats,
mice, spiders, army worm, chinch
bugs, hawks, skunks, snakes, and rep
tiles; then after they get their share
while the crop is growing, the trusts,
speculators, manipulators, lawyers,
bankers and doctors manage to get the
lion's share of what isMeft.
Then the soil is becoming exhausted
from continual cropping. Many of the
ed&iern states are almost beyond re
covery in that line, and some of the
western states are showing signs of
exhaustion In certain lines, notably
for wheat.
In some of the western states the
time has gonejby for giving away pub
lic lands to immigrants. We should
keep all we have left for the future
coming generations of Americans and
they will find that their forefathers
have been altogether too generous in
giving away public lands.
The time will come when there will
be a congested population and a worn
out soil. Then it is making compe
titors for the American farmer, and
making him poorer and poorer, while
they are building up trusts, combines,
manipulators, speculators manufac
turers, bankers, by tariff laws, euabl
ing them to fix their own price on their
wares and manufactures.
We know the Pillsburys, the Ar
mours,. Swifts, the Goulds, the Hills,
the Vanderbilts, the Rockefellers, the
Morgans, the biscuit trust, the sugar
trust, the tobacco trust, the cotton
trust, the oil trust, the harvester and
plow trust, the mowing machine and
twine trust, the leather trust, the iron,
wire fencing, and nail trust, thp snit
trust, the bank trust and hundreds of
others too numerous to mention, all
becoming millionaires directly or in
directly out of the farmer. Now give
us the name of one farmer who is a
millionaire or a multi-millionaire that
has made his millions by agriculture
alone. So poorly paid are the farmers
in the eastern states that it is almost
impossible to keep the boys and girls
at home; they dig out as soon as they
become aware of the situation, drudge
and unremunerative life of the farm.
JOHN T. MARTIN.
Pittsfield, Ta.
Whoa, Hayseeds!
Editor Independent: Under the
above caption I saw recently in The
Independent what Mr. Wayiand in the
Appeal to Reason said about the bank
ers who ridiculed farmers who asked
that the government should make
them loans on their wheat 2 per cent
interest; but that Secretary Shaw has
made those bankers a loan of $30,000,
000 without interest, on dubious chat
tels. Which reminds me that a few years
ago a Holt county (Neb.) paper con
tained several pages of advertisements
of sheriff's sales and foreclosures of
mortgages, because of a few crop fail
ules caused by drouth. Those indus
trious people could not pay their dues.
At the same time Secretary of the
Treasury Gage had issued an order
that for thirty days all the revenues
of the United States must daily b
sent to New York and from there to
London to save the Bank of England
from bankruptcy. The revenues of a
single day, or even a half day, would
have saved the dear homes of those
Holt county people, who would gladlv
have paid their debts after having an
other good crop but Mr. Gage could
not spare it! It took the last cent of
those revenues, which are squeezed
out by taxing such hayseeds, to keep
the Bank of England from tumHine
over. Last spring congress voted $50,000
for banquetting a genuine German im
perial prince; and not long ago Queen
Roosevelt bought a $r0.000 silver din
ner set for the royal palace, to be pre
pared to receive royal guests. You
know that German prince who visited
us last spring had to take the im
perial silver set, along he could not
eat from a common china plate.
Whoa! Cousin Hayseed!
Whoa! Uncle Street Walker!
Stop a little!
You forget to pay the fiddler. Then
take your empty $50,000 dinner pail
along, that you can enjoy your $50,000
banquet That's equal rights to all;
special privileges to none.
F. SCHWEIZER.
Woodlawn, Neb.
Grain Meeting
There will be a meeting held at Lin
coln, Neb., January 22, 1903, at 3 p.m.
in University Hail in the interest or
and for the purpose of advancing the
i-armers' Co-operative Grain and Live
Stock association and extending its
usefulness in Nebraska. All farmers
and others interested in extending the
work of the association - and in the
building of farmers' co-operative ele
vators are requested to -attend and
take part in the meeting. We recom
mend thta farmers and shippers meet
at the various shiDDins stations of
Nebraska and send representatives or
delegates to this meetiner. All Dersons
interested in the success of the co-oper
ative movement and desiring informa
tion regarding the same, are cordially
invited. James Butler, manager of
the central association, and other
speakers from Kansas will address the
meeting. Reduced rates have been
granted on all the railroads in the
state. Ask for -them when buying
your tickets.
The Farmers' Grain Association of
Benedict Nebraska,
D. W. BAKER, Pres.
E. E. WATTS. Sec'v.
The Farmers' Grain Association of
inayer, Nebraska.
R. B. PRICE, Pres.
T. C. PRATHER Seo'v
The Farmers Business Association of
fcneiby, Nebraska.
H. THELEN, Pres.
H. H. HEWITT, Sec'y.
J. A. Wayiand in Appeal to Reason
ays:
"Senator Harris of TCancnc
' uu yv viaj-
sines himself as a democrat rpnnriiat-
ing the name of populist He never
was a populist. I was in Topeka when
he was elected and heard him and then
said he was not a nnnnlist nr.
sympathy with the spirit and aspira
. : r j i i .....
mat organization."
Senator Harris is not the only re
cipient Of favors at thp hnnrla nf tho
populist organization who, after he
had secured all he thought possible,
bit the. hand that fed him. Here in
Nebraska we have the satisfaction of
Knowing that no more staunch popul
ist than Senator All en lives within hot
borders. There may come a time at
no distant dav wh pn SpTiatnr Tlarria
will believe he flopped several years
tuu soon.
Cure You of
Rheumatism
Else No Money is Wanted.
After 2,000 experiments. I hava
learned how to cure Rheumatism. Not
to turn bony joints into flesh again;
tnat is impossible. But I can cure cho
disease always, at any stage, and for-
eer.
I ask for -o money. Simnlv write
me a postal and I will send you an or
der on your nearest aruggist ror six
bottles Dr. Shoop's Kheumatic Cure,
for every druggist keeps it Use it
for a month and, if it succeeds, the
cost is only $5.50. If it fails, I will
pay the druggist myself.
I have no sam; es, because any med
icine that can affec Rheumatism
quickly must be drugged to the verge
or. danger. I use no such drugs, and
it is folly to take them. You must
get the disease out of the blood.
My remedy does that, even in the
most difficult obstinate cases. No
matter how impossible this seems to
you, I know it and take the risk. I
have cured tens of thousands of cases
in this way, and my records show that
39 out of 40 who get six bottles pay
gladly. I have learned that people in
general are honest with a physician
who cures them. That is all I ask.
If I fail I don't expact a peany from
you.
Simply write me a postal card or a
letter. I will send you my book about
Rheumatism, and an order for the
medicine. Take it for a month, as it
won't harm you anyway, if it fails,
i' is free, and I leave t..j decision
with you. Address Dr. Shoop, Box 940
Racine. Wis.
Mild cases, not chronic, are often
cured by one or f.vo bottles. At all
druggists.
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