The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1876-04-13
The Anti-MonopoliSt.
recent developments Cor devil up ments)

recent developments 4or devil mp ments) |
almost mark as prophetic:
After adyerting to the swami Of
more comprehensive, more broadly
based, more liberal, more active, more
modern, more life-ike organization to
take the place of that narrow minded.
illiberal, antiqaated, sleepy coterie OF
old togies called the Chamber of Com
merce.
Our contemporary says:
THAT body like the present Chamber
of Commerce should represent or Claim
to represent, the mercantile community
of this great city is satire so gross up
on the intelligence of the merchants
of New York that its very excess would
| make it harmless were it not that the
good natured contempt with which press
and telegraph still scatter broadcast the
reports OF its monthly or semi monthly
senilities gives to its uttcrance through
out the country and abroad an appear
ance ofweight and dignity which no one
attaches to it at home. Foreigners and
conntIy merchants still live in the fond
belief that the utterances OF the Cham
Der of Commerce are the oracle Of New
| York, and that its annual volume OF re-
ports, gaudy in pea-green and gold,
contains the distilled essence of the best
thought of the leaders of New York's
merchant princes and merchant plo-
neers. At home the solemn farce IS
we'll understood and rightly appreciated;
but i: is thankless task to noise abroad
our own disgrace, and hence even those
most impatiently enduring the present
infiction shun the duty of exposing the
truth The result is that everywhere
except at home the Chamber OF Com
merce is looked upon as the exponent
of the New York merchants, and that
consequently everywhere except at
home the merchants of New York are
looked upon with a feeling akin to con-
tempt.
Without any reference to party lines
or party preferences, no intelligent per-
son familiar with the inner workings OF
our national lite can doubt that the next
few years will witness most agiating
discussion on the tariff, the banking sys-
tenn, the management of the national
finances, and the various questions con-
nected with interior transportation by
canal or rail. especially in connection
with the limits Of the powers of the
great transporting corporations. Even
ii the Democrats should not come into
power next fall on these very questions.
they will be forced upon unwilling Re-
publican leaders by the overwhelming
demand of an outraged people. To
whom will the country, to whom shall
the country, look for an intelligent opin-
ion on these topics, il not to the New
York Merchants Yet what Intelligent
merchant would like to be represented
in these questions by the New York
Chamber of Commerce, which has been
the chief defender ofour present banking
system; which has been and is the adul-
ator and indorser OF every successive
Secretary OF the Treasury and of each
successive series OF Treasury plumbers !;
which excludes tariff discussions; which
wants to restore our commerce by pos
tai and other subsidies; which supports
and glorifies Pacific land grabs; which
made itself ridiculous in attempting to
celebrate the Franco German peace, and
which fortunately never heard of the
, Anglo-American treaty? Is this body
to represent New York in the discussion
OF great National questions. on which
the country looks to New York for adj
vice, and on which the very existence OF
, New York itself depends? Surely
not.
What the mercantile community at
this day needs is an organization which
shall unite within itself all the CONNER
cial, mercantile, financial, and industri-
al interests of this city, in which all can
meet to discuss the interests of all bust
' ness men Of this great centre OF trade
) an organization too large to be controll-
r ed by cliques, too broad to become part
isan, 100 free and open to fall into starch
b ed sleepiness; an organization which,
| when it speaks. shall utter with no un-
Q certain sound the wishes Of the majority
r of the business men OF New York IN
: organization which must be heard wher
: it deals with questions affecting our har-
/ Dor, our docks, our port regulations
: light houses, postal service, and all law!
: affecting the commerce and trade of this
+ city and country an organization pow
8 erful enough to elevate the morals of all
+ trades, to enforce fair dealing. to exclud,
4 ons from the advantages Of honest ira
n ders. to enforce arbitration between
: members Of each trade and between
y members of different trades, and, in on,
e word. to furnish the opportunity tor car
3 rying out in practice the conviction il
every ones heart that the interests OF al
Is the commercial classes are identical. an,
require Tor their best advancement III
IS united action of all.
Who does not recognize that the Ne,
l. York merchants to-day, instead OF form
. ing one compact organization, are moth
is ing but scattered fragments, withou
cohesion. without intercourse. withou
n, means of cooperation, without force
: and without power2
d Will the merchants of New York wal
d until some great, unforse N. undre.m
Of calamity teaches them the imperatiy
he necessity of union?
q, M. T. CllMSDAl.