The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1888-02-02
"THE TRUSTS" GIGANTIC
POWER.

slider great tacts Why Well, as in
the case of the tariff, they have been
wearied by constant appeals and dis
sertations in the newspaper press. But
when a man is cheated daily-when he
is made to pay an exorbitant price for
what he actually needs, the question
narrows itself down to purely per-
sonal issue. Consequently, in regard
to taxation, the fact is simply whether
a mans pocketbook is his own, or
whether it is the possession of any
combination of plunderers who con-
duct their robberies according to acts
of Congress, in general, and State and
local protection in particular. Touch
mans "pocket nerve" and he will
respond defnantly to the challenge.
This is the general maxim, and, in
some respects, it is not bad philosophy.
Yet the fact remains that the Ameri-
can people, who are the most astute
and practical business folk in the
world, have had their ''pocket nerves.
exposed for SO long a time that they
are insensible, and foolishly insensible,
to the assaults which are made upon
them by home robbers They feel the
pangs, but they do not protect the
nerves They know the sources from
which the assaults come, but they take
no precaution for self-defense. Yet
we pride ourselves upon our smartness,
and boast Of our independence. What
nonsense We are cheated every day.
We are spiritless, deluded mortals-
clever in our way, but not clever
enough to protest successfully against
our oppressors.
There is not a day in which our
chains are not drawn more closely
around us. For this is the age of
'trusts," the Legitimate offspring Of a
protective tariff, which is so high that,
from it's heights, it contemptuously
looks down upon the people and defes
them. Our food, our fuel, our cloth
ing and our lights are owned by COM
binatlons Of sharp and greedy men
who organize their "trusts, their
legalized tyranny, and make exorbi-
tant profits out of the very life blood
Of the toiling masses. Yet we stand
it all. We are protecting American
labor and monopolistic capital by
starting the former and fattening the
latter And just so long as the peo
Pile, instead Of asserting their king
ship, are content to grovel in serfdom,
just so long will this cruel oppression
endure and enrich the few at the ex-
pense Of the millions.
1t is not fair for Southern advocates
Of high tariff to affirm that the mod
ern Trusts are not the otfshoot Of a
prohibitory protection. Out of the
system of taxation which cuts off com
petition from abroad and narrows the
field has issued the "Trust" and if the
people do not rise in their might and
crush out this privileged monster,
then they will be reduced to a thral-
dom that will impoverish every
mothers son of u.s. The Trust "
must go. 1t is narrow in its principles.
1t is unscrupulous in its methods. 1t
is conducted for the purpose of beat
ing everybody out Of the last cent pos
sible. Is it felt in the South ? Of
course it is Look at the 'sCotton
Seed Oil Trust" Louisiana has tried
to drive this monopolist out of that
State Why? Because, as Attorney
General Cunningham says it was
formed to acquire and control all the
cotton seed oil mills in. the South, and
that it is an illegal, invalid, immoral
and corrupt association. -..F,
There are some North Carolinians
who have felt, directly, the evil conse