MARCH i3, 1903.
THE NEBRASKA INDEPENDENT.
7
33 ' '
. . Trusts The Cause and Cure
. TRUSTS A NECESSITY.
Editor Independent:, I take quite
an interest ia many uruia iu j"ul
paper and notice the wonderful dif
, f erence of opinion expressed. I like
Congressman 'Stark's idea of primary
nominations, but I wonder whether
people would turn out to such or
would only a few who make politics
their business still manipulate as has
been the case in the past? There must
of necessity be a "machine," the or-
' caniTntinn wtitr V rnnslsf S of State.
county and precinct committees.
These are generally supposed to do
about all the work and my observa
tion has taught me that precinct pri
maries are attended by them and a few
who have axes , to grind. But under
our present system of telephones and
rural mail it might be possible for
each county chairman to get an ex
pression over these routes by giving
a few days' notice, but to get voters
to attend a primary election to simply
choose between two or more neigh
bors as delegates, to a county conven
tion it requires something very im
portant and as a usual thing will re
sult about as the present plan has.
I also notice many of your writers
: are giving trusts fits and I wonder
how they are going to stop them with
out, checking all advance In commer
cial evolution. In my opinion trusts
are a necessity. No single person can
carry on great enterprises. It re
quires combined effort. Take the oil
trust: when coal oil first came into
iiao ? met Krt rp'nfs rpr frallnn! now
It costs 12 cents. How was this
done? First, by competition In open-
, ing oil wells; second, by combining
capital to still increase production;
third, by merging many interests and
piping the oil at less rates than rail
roads would deliver it. Each of these
conditions made It possible for cheap
. oil and larger -profits. , Why curse
Rockefeller for getting rich when at
the same time he has lessened the cost
of oil 75 per cent I love to see any
man make money when at the same
time he is saving others money. I be
lieve,, however, thta human naturo is
selfish and that Rockefeller is not
cheapening oil as he might for, if re
ports are true, he is getting very rich.
Wow wniild it rln fnr TTnr.lo Sam to
say, "Now, Rocky, this oil is a God
, given comfort, to all mankind, there
fore, I will put a graduated income tax
on your until , your profits are large
enough for any man, after which you
can take . your, choice; , cheapen your
; oil "to the people or give the surplus
" to me and I'll use it in lightening their
' burden of taxation."
I see the old tariff bone is being
gnawed a good deal in your columns.
The populist party cannot afford to
try to take that bone from those two
."old dogs." It's dry ' gnawing any
way. ,
The people of this country are. for
tariff and no political party can live
unless it advocates some tariff. What
the populists should do is to advocate
a just tariff exempting nothing we
can produce, let it be raw or manu-
factured material. It is the inequal
ties by privileges given under the law
and not the law that is wrong.
W. C. STARKEY.
Violet, Neb.
(Mr. Starkey evidently burns pine-
knots or candles for lighting purposes
or has a "pull" with the oil trust
for we cannot get kerosene at 12
cents a gallon in Lincoln; 19 cents in
five-gallon lots is the best we can do.
ivir. Diarney overiooKs ine iaci al
though kerosene is cheaper now than
- it was in the days when it was dis
tilled from coal, or before the art of
refining the petroleum was developed,
yet for the past several years the price
has been steadily creeping up in de
fiance of all known laws of price when
controlled by competition. There is no
, such economy of production as Mr.
Starkey believes it is economy' jf
' transportation, .a better .rate , tjia'n
anyone else can get. There are hun
dreds of dismantled refineries whica
could , refine oil as cheaply as Rocke
feller can but they can't get it to
market Rockefeller did not reduce
the price of oil 75 per cent he was
-not omnipotent then and couldn't' pre
sent its going down. But today he is
, showing the world the spectacle of in
4 creased production and Increased
, ., price, with no new use to Indicate an
. abnormal increase in the demand.
.Ed. Ind.) , : - v
SOCIALISM.
The creator of the trust is special
privilege. This' may come (1) from
ah act of the legislative body, such as,
a tariff,1 or statute excluding foreign;
competition;" (2)fteight' discrimina
tion or rebates-'4 in transportation of
freights; (3) of '"by the weight' and
force of money itself, or what is called
the power of capital; that is to say,
the power which money, once ob
tained, has over the labor of the poor,
so that the capitalist can take all its
produce to himself, except the la
borer's food." The privilege or pre
rogative, may have come from any
one, from any two, or from the three
things given here. The fault being
in the prerogative of capital to accu
mulate to itself the most of the
weight, which is created solely by la
bor, the ' remedy must come from a
complete removal of the cause. We
now have and always have had law3
against illegal restraint of trade.
These laws are not enforced, the ex
ecutive power and the courts as well,
allow to become practically obsolete.
Outlawing men who take advantage of
privileges granted them by law, cus
tom and -conditions, cannot be justi
fied by reason. A law making it a
crime for an Individual, corporation,
or an aggregation of corporations, to
exploit labor; when this is but the
natural and logical result of the sys
tem, cannot but prove futile.
The remedy means the taking away
from capital the privilege of exploiting
labor to any extent. In other word3,
a system whereby all wealth hereaf
ter created, shall go exclusively to the
laborers creating, or producing it
This means industrial revolution,
which cannot come by temporizing
with the present competitive system.
It means the nationalizing of all in
dustry, where each laborer shall have
the privilege to work for all, and
where the All (the nation) guarantees
to him the full product of his toil.
This means socialism.
JOHN EVERSON.
Alma, Neb.
. ABOLISH CORPORATIONS.
Editor Independent: It appears to
me that writers on trusts and their
cure have failed to get at the root of
the evil. To me it seems that the
causes of trusts are laws creating pri
vate corporations and the privilege of
alien ownership. Tariff duties, boun
ties, - license, loaning of credits and
private ownership of means of com
munication and transportation have
wonderfully aided the growth of trusts
but did not cause them. We must
adopt drastic measures to curb them.
Take away all private special privil
eges. This would effect a radical
cure. Then if we would expect it to
be permanent a sharply graduated in
come and legacy tax must be enacted
and enforced.
E. W. FERGUSON, Jr.
Hartington, Neb.
. PUBLIC OWNERSHIP.
Editor Independent: I believe that
there is only one remedy for prevent
ing trusts and that is public owner
ship. . The trusts and capitalists don't
care a darn whether the democrat or
republican party is in power. It de
lights them to see democratic and re
publican editors quarreling with each
other, each one claiming to be the
poor man's friend; but, reader, did you
ever stop to-think that perhaps many
of these bullet-headed editors are paid
to quarrel and rip In order to keep us
blinded?
They never mention public owner
ship unless to say it would cause busi
ness stagnation and is impracticable.
Perhaps it might cause a business
stagnation to the Rockefellers, Mor
gans, Hills and many other fortunate
possessors of numerous " business tal
ent, but is it not better to cause busi
ness stagnation among the few mil
lionaires instead of the millions of
ragged workers? Suppose Rockefeller
and Morgan owned the postoffice; if
they charged 25 cents to carry a let
ter we would have it to pay; but for
tunately it is owned by the public
and 2 cents does the work. Now, I
ask if land, oil, coal and other public
necessities were owned by the govern
ment ,why wouldn't it, like the post
office, work like a charm for the strug
gling millions? , ALPHA L. NEELY.
Ogden, S. C.
Try one of Branch & Miller's special
combinations of groceries as adver
tised in this issue. The Independent
guarantees you will not regret It All
who have ordered express entire sat
isfaction.
Able Educator
4 Editor Independent: Like that other
fellov and some millions of other fel
lows, if the truth were known, I am
sorry I cannot send something sub
slantial. : I hate been working stead
ily, but could not save anything,
though I do: hot drink. Such papers
as The Independent and - Commoner
should be supported for their educa
Unnal methods if for nothing more.
They choult! be patronized for their
logical treatment of economic subjects
as being free from those technicali
ties which eavor - so much of Wall
street slang, which ia tetter adapted
to the perusal of the proverbial Phila
delphia lawyer, or 3ome foot-of-his-class
graduate- of Yale or Princeton,
Experience is an Impressive teacher.
It will not be necessary to orate to
any extent before the "masses' in the
next presidential campaign about the
existence of a coal monopoly. Three
years ago they could not or would not
believe that any such beastly thing ex
isted. They also felt the pinch of the
money trust during Cleveland's in
famous administration', but the dupes
refused to be convinced that tho same
malign Influence was the prime factor
in both cases. All honest men should
work to save the country from any
more panic breeding candidates who
tfllra thft Tin mo Homnirat fnr tho nur.
pose of robbing the people. They are
n 1 . . A 4 1 IL. 1 . 1 .1
whose object in life seems to be to
torture to death a people struggling
for the God-given right to liberty, and
who facetiously call themselves re
publicans, the better to carry out a
policy of plunder.
PHILLIP KELLY.
Danville, III.
Thinks fit's All Right
Editor Independent: Please stop
The Independent, as I don't think it
will do me a dollar's worth of good. I
don't think taking your paper will
save this country, or the pops, or the
democrats, as money will talk. There
are . too many fools in the world.
They won't read anything but trash.
Your paper is all right, but the right
people don't read it I don't need it,
as I am with the reform party first,
last and all the time. J. W. ENIX.
Imperial, Neb.
(That's the same idea which pro
duces so many ajuilet heads. After
Lincoln freed the slaves, these mullet
head republicans said, "I am all right;
I don't need to know anything more
about republicanism; I don't need to
read; I have learned all there Is to
know." They , were not mullet heads
then, but they are now, simply because
they failed to keep abreast of the
times.
The fundamental principles of pop
ulism arc eternally true and, like the
tree, always young; but how to build
government upon this solid founda
tion is a problem that cannot be
worked out in a day, in a month, in a
yearr-prhaps in a lifetime or longer.
There is no such thing as standing
still. - The. man .who Is not learning
sontf thing, new each day, is forget
ting something. And the populist
who thinks he has learned all there Is
to populism, and who quits reading,
will some day wake up to find him
self a genuine mullet head. Ed. Ind.)
Physician, Avondale. Okla.: I am
greatly interested in Captain Ashby's
article on "Money and the Taxing
Power." I hope it will , be published
in book form.
John Hansen, Suring, Wis.: I shall
not renew. Your paper is very good
for a "fuse" paper, but "fuse" don't
go with me after this. I am fully
able to appreciate your efforts and
manly ways in saying what you have
to say and it is no pleasant task for
me to send you this notice. (No hard
feelings against you, Bro. Hansen.
People have a right to differ as to
methods. Would you resent public
ownership of the railroads if it came
under a republican or democratic ad
ministration? Ed. Ind.)
Should be at It Now
Editor Independent: Well, Mr. Edi
tor, I think fusion with the demo
crats Is done with. I don't think the
democrats are doing fair with us pops.
I think they are too much on the hog
order; they must have the best of ev
erything and then we all get .'beat I
don't think there are ten populists in
Valley county that will ever fuse with
them again. I for one can't vote with
them any more; neither will I vote
with the republicans.- There willl be
a bid landslide over to the socialists
in Valley county, but I must see their
platform before I can go with them;
but one thing is certain, we must do
something to bust the republican ma
chine and we should be up and at It
now. J. O. SMITH.
Ord, Neb.
A Careful Survey
Editor Independent: Enclosed find
50 cents for subscription. I notice
you have requested your subscribers
to express their opinion on the change
in the form of The Independent I
think it is decidedly 'more convenient.
Now, Mr. Editor, I want to say some
thing through The Independent that
has never been said before. :
Now, while you "are traveling the
national road of reform, cutting
bushes on both sides. It would bo
worse than folly to turn out of the
plain wide populist road for a divided
democratic party.
Let the reorganizers, Cleveland, Hill
and Gorman,- have full swing: I do
hope one of them will be nominated
for president, so we can see their
overwhelming defeat and death.
They can't carry New York, and
not exceeding a half dozen states all
told. I see no way to get rid of them,
only to let them go ahead to certain
defeat .
Another thing, It Is nonsense to
think of accomplishing any change or
reform while a majority of million
aires are in the senate, and so many
parties In the field. These million
aire senators are big Masons whose
secret obligations make them con
veniently forget the promises they
made to their constituents. To illus
trate: ' . . ; 'V
Some years ago I attended a public
dinner given by the Masons on the
24th of June. They had imported a
young brother from Louisville to
make the opening address, after a
short apology for his inexperience in
addressing large audiences, tie said:
"We meet to celebrate a day, not the
Fourth of July, but a greater day, a
day in which Masonry had its origin."
Of course that would stagger a Fourth
of July patriot.
Again, for more than fifteen years
an. undoubted majority of the people
and legislatures has petitioned for a
change to elect United States senators
by the people as congressmen are,
twice at previous sessions the lower
house has passed almost unanimously
a bill to make the desired change, and
as often have these millionaires re
ceived the bill in . the senate and
chucked it in a pigeon hole, to sleep
th&sleep that knows no waking.
Yet, while a candidate for the sen
ate every one of them declared in
favor of it Now all this makes it
plain that no change or reforms can
be expected as long ae they hold a
majority in the' senate. It makes no
difference whether they are republi
cans or democrats, they are all one
and the same when they get in tho
senate.
There never will be any reforms In
government until the people elect a
majority of senators of a different
stripe and kind. Now, I want to go
on and look over the road, and after
making a careful survey of the whole
route I now -offer my report:
First The government shall . coin
goia ana silver at tne presem raiio
as it has, and is now doing. . ,.:
' Second The government shall issue
all paper money without the inter
vention of any bank or banks. ",
Third The government shall own
and operate" .the telegraph' and tele
phone system.' " ; ' '
Fourth The government shall own
and operate the principal through lines
of railroads, and acquire others neces
sary as may be. .
Fifth The government shall own
and operate the principal coal mines.
Sixth The government shall make
said purchases at a fair valuation cr
by the right of eminent domain.
Seventh The government . shall
stand pledged to increase the wages
of all coal miners and railroad em
ployes double what they now are.
Eighth The government shall stand
pledged to reduce freight and passen
ger rates one-half of what they, now
are. Thus ending all future Ktrikes
and coal famines, and thus distributing
wealth more, equally and justly.
- Ninth The government will save
enough by thus getting rid of swin
dling bankers, and from telegraph and
telephone service, and railroad extor
tion for carrying the mails, t6 pay In
full for said purchases inside of fif
teen years.
Tenth We are in favor of an in
come tax and again demand that
United States senators shall be elected
by the people.
Now it is no use talking about a
new name; that would only play Into
the. hands of the enemy. The only
way that these reforms can be accom
plished is, for all the miners and all,
the railroad employes, farmers, and
all other laborers, to unite on th?
above platform, to be known as the
Pedple's National Silver Party with
Tom Johnson of Ohio for president
and John Mitchell of the coal miners
union for vice president; and with
W. J. Bryan, Towne and Teller in the
cabinet; then success would be cer
tain. ' - ' ;
But if two or more parties made a
canvass against the reorganizers and
republican party nothing will, be ac
complished, and a few fleeting years
will see our liberties and boasted
republic supplanted by a , plutocratic
dictatorial government - ;
When I call to mind the prophetic
words of prophecy ' spoken,, by our
martyred president, I am ready to ex
claim, Oh, for. a Lincoln, to lead u3
out of the wilderness.
. . L S. FRYMIRE.
..FrymJre, Ky. ,
