HFK В.688 338 B68 COPYRIGHT, 1902, BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. SET UP AND ELECTROTYPED JUNE, 1902. NOV 12 1902 GIFT OF C. A. MOORE Se54180 4B. PRESS OF THE NEW ERA PRINTING COMPANY, LANCASTER, PA. PREFACE. This book is written with the belief that there is no sufficient reason why sound knowledge of the trusts and the tariff should continue to be confined so narrowly to the few. To understand these, which, with connected topics, are the most important questions of the day— political, economic, and social-the average man of some education does not seem to lack capacity. The merchant, the wage worker, or the farmer, discerns keenly the slightest change for better or worse in the conditions by which he is directly affected. Could he not carry his thinking to causes further back-to conditions that affect him less closely? When evil, the former conditions, such as an ordinary fall in wages or profits, are temporary, and can be improved, by moving or by varying one's effort; but the latter conditions, after a lapse of time not very long, as when changing methods gradually take away a person's occupation, are of momentous permanence, and when not foreseen may hold him down inexorably. Among the socially beneficent changes of the latter class are others, continually approaching, which are portentous to all, and which are only to be prevented by timely action from the many. Not only ought the average man to carry his thinking further, to become more intelligent in citizenship and more capable in business, but it seems that he desires to do so. As far as leisure permits, he reads the mass of matter placed before him, and with an intention to know, as well as to be entertained. Is not his lack of economic Sc 54180 knowledge due chiefly to the fact that it is not served to him? That which he gets is too often a one-sided view from partisan sources; and when it comes from the ablest and fairest writers, it requires too much study, and too much previous information, to be generally appreciated. The attempt in this book, therefore, is to gather up and convey to the general reader, busy with every-day affairs, a considerable measure of that deeper economic and political knowledge which is usually confined to men of special education or experience. Both sides of a question are presented, but only so far as the truth seems to demand, not with effort to say as much for one side as for the other. For the views presented, it is hoped that the reasons given will be sufficient evidence of soundness. The object is to enable the reader to understand so easily and clearly that he will not rely blindly on platforms and speakers. The authorities mainly followed, it will be seen from the foot-notes, are men of established leadership, who have written within close view of American conditions as they exist to-day. The list of books cited is given to avoid printing full titles in the notes. Most of the statistics are taken from government reports, and current facts from the reliable periodicals cited. Some additional facts for Part I. are inserted on its closing page, and a few similar additions will be noticed near the close of Part II. The matter was chiefly written last fall and winter, and proofs of the pages in type have been finally revised during the last two months. GEORGE L. BOLEN. JACKSON, MICH., June 2, 1902. |