Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 June 1903 — POLITICS OF THE DAY [ARTICLE]

POLITICS OF THE DAY

Protection nnJ the Farmer*. f Ttao’RWstft jure Warning the Increased cost of their. products on the working linen, who, they say, are demanding l‘w#e««MiAbly high wage*. As the cost «C tiylng has increased on an average •bout 40 per cent in the last few irenra, mostly In consequence of the adrnnee In the price of trust productions, It I* difficult to see why the workiug- | man should not get that much iu- | Creased wages, but wages have only been advanced nbont 12 per cent. Wages have not kept ftace with the (wet of living, and Iho trusts and oomblnee having refused in many cases to Increase tliem, tho result has been the toinntuerable strike* to force them to do so. Wages, thus being forced higher, will Increase the cost of production, and the trusts will have ,to again advance prices, and then laJ>or will be compelled to make further 'flamaiids. How far this increase in Wages and the price of trust products ■ may go is problematical, but it is cerHaiti that those who have a tired Income or those who cannot force an increase of wages are great sufferers by ■the increased cost of living, and perfkaps a majority of the people of the Unltml State* are in tills condition. To them the halcyon days of tho trust* .gamin a lack'of prosperity and a difflcnlty In nSrtltllig-thelr Income furnish tln m a decent living. Monopoly, with Its Insatiate maw, is devouring their . subfhMßce, yet tln>*e of them wlio are Republicans *llll cling to tho feilch protection, that is the main cause of their suffering. If the tariff on trust productions was aliolislied (he f««r of Competition would coin pel tho eonibhMM to lowin’ the prices of tlielr products to prevent the Importation of for-eign-made goods. RiMluction In prices would enable tlie workingmen to spend more money on luxuries and business In many lines would improve. It is preposterous to answer that there would be an Influx of foreign goods would sliut up our factories, for the trusts are competing with the foreigners on their own ground and unfits tailing them. If. ns Is sometimes claimed, tho exports of trust productions are sold at a loss and are merely the surplus that cannot he sold at home, why tills anxiety for foreign market* and the Itoost of tlie Republicans that the -largely increased exports exhibit our wonderful prosperity? Business done at a loss cannot long cotktimie, and to make the home customer pay increased prices to cany it on is an Imposition upon the American consumer. Tiie farmer, whose products are not jprotvetod, and whose surplus crops rnnsl be sold In tlie markets of the world, have Just begun to feel the incrctMod ctMff of what they have to buy. They find the good prices for agricilitnrtil products are lieing offset and the margin of profits decreasing. With good crops all over the world the prosperity of the farmer would disappear, for (ha prices of farm products are Entirely established liy supply and demand. They have no trust of combination to keep up prices, and any atteufipt to, organize for that purpose will fall, because it would not include even ■a minority of the fairness. The price of every Imshei of wheat is fixed by tho demand for tiie suriilus after the people of the United States have been supplied. Bad crops in Europe mean Increased demand for American wheat, aud good crops tliere force tlie prices ■ down. Otiier agricultural products of the United States, of which a surplus t* raised, are governed In value in like manner. -t Protection to the trusts through the tariff is therefore a constant menace to the farmer and workingmen alike, and .4 prices are a uniform ia.x upon their Income*. Tlie trusts must he aixde to compete witli their products In the markets of the world as tlie fanner ts compelled to do, by removing the tariff protection. The Poatafflc* Sraadtl, ' The investigation of the rotten system In the Post Office Department has developed some more rascals, but there are much more serious scandals yet to t>e unearthed involving officials of high degree. It is hardly likely that the whole truth will be known, for even if a Oeogreweooal .Investigation was ordered It would be iu the hands of the SjEgaghltesn* who ar* interested in auppnwsiug the facts that could lie uncovered. The railway mail service offers a flue field for exploration and if aomp, reports aro true that are openly talked of in Washington, the worst scandtl by far has not yet been developed. A Republican administration long continued in power is bound to become corrupt when the control of vast sums is given Into the hands of ? |be apofigniea. The Star Route fra ode Would never have lieeu unearthed, if <• Democratic Congress had not been and the whole truth about preaf eat conditions wilt be concealed until ’ the voters conclude to give the Demopern ta the opportunity of cleaning the idugean stables, fraud and corruption Is rarely uncovered by the politic*} friends of those guilty of the crippea and the only hope of the conn try Is a periodical change of administration to unearth and expose the 1' alas of cotnmhniun and omission of the* opponents. ThS evident tntenMns_of Postmaster General Payne to 'fSlEie and throw obstacles la the way

of a full Investigation has been overcome by the honest efforts of Mr. Bristow. but political necessity will have great weight In helping to suppress the real facts about the greater culprits. There nre so many Congressmen and Senators who are directly or indirectly Involved that great pressure will bo brought to bear on the most honest officials to let up for “the good of the party."

Put lip the Tariff Wall. The monthly summary of commerce and finance for April tells'us that the largo imports of manufacturers’ materials still continue, and the effect of the high prices of articles of domestic manufacture, due to tho increase in cost of production and to tho continued largo demand in the United States, is becoming more apparent in tho decrease in exports of certain lines of manufacture. What we need is a Dingley tariff wail at least twice as high as the present one. This dumping of foreign goods on our shores must be stopped at whatever coat. Our little onehorse manufacturers who were so foolish as not to get into some trust when they had a chance are now getting the punishment they deserve. Because they do not own their own mines and forests aud have to buy their raw materials is no reason why they should patronize foreigners in preference to our own producers. They should be compelled to buy their materials at home of our own dear trusts. Put up the tariff wall and squeeze these measly manufacturers out! This is an era of groat industrial concerns and of high prices for tlie products of great monopolies. There Is no room for and no need of small and cheap concerns. They should pay the prices for raw materials fixed by (he trusts or go out of business. They should not expect to compete for foreign trade, it belongs to tho giants who own the iron, coal, oil and other mines, the consignees of God himself, as some of them believe. Trouble Ahead for the Q. O. P. .Scenting trouble ahead, some of the more foxy organs of the G. O. P. are beginning to commence to start to get ready to blame it all on the wicked Democrats. The Philadelphia Press thus voices its fears: ‘’Unless a belief should gain ground that a Democrat may be elected President next year there will be no break In the continued prosperity of the nation.” The Press then hastens to reassure us liy saying: "Price* in some lines, forced unduly high by combinations, may decline somewhat, but that would be a healthy movement. As to any general depression, It Is not In view, nor is it likely to become so for years to come." The Press need not worry. Tha Democrats nre not going to win in 1004 unless tlie people get tired of bolug bled by high-tariff-trust prices and vote for the only party that will stop the trust graft and reduce the cost of living. This they certainly will do when they get their eyes wide open to the iniquities of the outrageous Dingley bill. -They will then get some of tlie prosperity that the trusts are now enjoying. Political Potpourri. Tliere are indications that Mr. Roosevelt"* anti-trust war paint will peel off as soon as the campaign gets warm. Tlie trusts have lieen giving the screw another twist during the past month and squeezed up prices of necessities another notch, according to Dun’s index figures. On May Ist the number* were 08.561; ou June Ist, 98.930. It must be rather galling for Senator Hanna to hang ou to the tail-board of tiie Roosevelt band wagon, while Senator Foraker sits on the front seat and jeers, aud it is hardly likely that Mark will stick to his uncomfortable position if lie finds a good chance to shift it. Senator Hanna and Senator Foraker, with arms entwined, posing on the stage as the great harmony tableau of the Ohio State’convention, must have been an interesting picture to the delegates, Who were all ready to poniard their neighbors if the occasion required and their political pie depended on It. It required a number of vans to transfer from the special train to the White House tlie presents that President Roosevelt received on his campaign trip, the animals alone being numerous enough to start a good-sized menagerie, beginning with bears, down to tame badger*. But the most Important acquisition was the cinch on the Western delegates to the Republican National convention. , From all appearance*, the constitution win have to be withdrawn from Porto Rico, for It ia giving the ad* ministration endless trouble ‘there, through that old fogy nonsense that trial by Jnry is a necessary accompaniment. The Porto Ricans hare got It into their aUly heads that a grand July has a right to Indict government officials who have committed a crime, hut orders from Washington soon convinced them that reasons of "high mosr could -not allow such proceedV”. '"-V-' •ftiTtiifitl

HIDEB DRUG IN HER HAIR. Atew aPatleut in Ranltarlasa Oet a Supply of Morphine. "It is well known,” said a nurse iff

an uptown sanitarium to a New York Times man, “that women addicted ts morphine will resort to all sorts of tricks to hide the drug for use when they know it will I>e kept from them. I am ‘wise,’ as they say, on all the violet bonbons, bouquets, chocolate drops and similar resources t*f that description In which morphine Is secreted, But I lie other day I was assigned to the care of a patient who beat me. Her supply of morphine was gradually reduced until the second day of treatment. aud then cut off altogether. Still the patient continued to get morphine. There was no, doubt about that. Not only myself but every nurse and employe in the house was undet suspicion. The patient was a womal with a beautiful aud bountiful supply of hair. Her husband, who visited her twice a day. was virtually accused of bringing her tlie drug and he was naturally indignant. “ ‘What do you suppose I am paying good money for a cure for?” Ij asked. "The fourth day the doctor In attendance stood for a long time ovel the patient, who was drowsy with morphine. Suddenly lie put his arml around lier and lifted her to a sitting posture. " ‘Now,’ he said, ‘we are going to comb your hair and perhaps you will feel refreshed.’ “The patient fought like a wildcat, and the secret was out. She had enough morphine hidden in her hair to last her six weeks if we had not found it out.”