The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-28
AS fOhgRuSTS.

ihcrc ia zeal OF Ignorant ana inucn inhilciouS
and lying talk on the subject Of trusts. Not one In
ten oil the associated industries 30 clessed are IN
any feature Of them truss Perhaps there are. all
told half dozen actual combines Of this sort, not
more than three OF which arc well enough organ
lied 10 hold together yclr and but two OF when
nre In any dearee able 10 force ZIP the prices oil the
article constituting tho subject matter OF the mo
nopollcs. Calling the stecl.Mill Association, the
American Iron and Steel Association the Western |
Nall Association aud similar societies trusts IN
gross abuse OF language, that can be excused ohy
on the ground Of ignorance Of tho facts. As well
call Bar Association which dxos minimum
schedule OF fees trust as 10 give
any of the associations named the same
title. A trust IL not q mere association IL Is
corporation under the control Of which great H.
dustries like the petroleum trade the cotton seed
oil trade. the refined sugar trac, are monopolized
10 prevent n destroy all home competition IN
product and prices. Such an org nization pools
under a cast iron charter oil the separate enter
prisos within It's puryiow; issues stocks and bonds
on the consolidated properties makes their credit
a subject for share gambling In the exchanges
limits supplies aud fixes prices ut will The con-
Germs that are NO combined and for such purposes
may be numbered on the angeH of one hand, and
not one Of them but hnS competition more or less
elective, and tho competition grows holder and
stronger daily. The trusts "buggcr" Is very largely
n creation Of lively lmaglnalions. Chattanooga
| Times
Let us SEQ how this Is. The NeD York
Times which has boon doing good work in
the cause OF the people against monopo-
lists, protectionists and trusts, which are
all OF piece, In It's issue OF the Goth gave
some particulars OF the Sugar, the Castor
Oil, the School Slate, the Linseed Oil, the
Steel Rail, the Steel the Plow, the Thresh-
er, the Reaper, Mower and Binder, the
Steel and Iron Beams, the Nail, the
Wroughtiron Pipe the Iron Nut, tho
Stove, the Paper Bag, the Honey, the Oil
Cloth, and The Men York Herald adds, the
Table and Stair Cloth, and the Window
Shade Trust or Combine. Beside these,
there are the Copper Trust, the Standard
Oil and the Cotton-seed Oil Trusts,
and many others. more than can be
counted on two hands three times.
All these arc denounced by The Herald
and The T'imcs, upon testimony and owl
dencc furnished by themselves, as COM
mercial despotisns that do not hesitate ia
crush the life out Of every opponent,
whether II entails individual ruin or
suicide, and destruction and beggary IA
once alllucnt families. These pools, com.
binations or trusts fix the days for theiI
members when their factories are TO run,
and the price OF tho products OF those
factories, instruct the jobbcrs as to prices
and divide enormous profits rs a result o
their Illegal combinations Nearly, II moi
all Of these Trusts profit by the protective
tariff, and thus rob the people in two ways
indeed where they reduce wages, II nigh
be said that theydo this in three ways
II they are not dealt with summIrily b!
Congress and the state Legislatures, rs tn
railroads have been, there Is no knowing
. 10 what lengths OF revolution they ma!
! : force the country. One form OF slavery 4
? Us bad M another, and II must be born
in mind by Trust men that the Unitc'
j. States Is on record as utterly ignoring th
! money value Of slave property, and thu
a has established precedent that Is dar
; | gcrous and a menace to every combinatio
that is built upon the blood and teams an
!. suffering Of the masses. Tho Trusts AZ
: ON dangerous ground.