San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1888-04-30
DON'T TRUST TRUSTS.

Iowa has a good, hsrd-headed set Of
citizens. They do not believe In mon.
keying with the interests OF that state
There are no cities In Iowa large enough
to dominate the state and consequently
no aggregations OF speculative capital
at any one point large enough to over.
ride the other sections In the interests
of capital Of a purely speculative char
acter. This is very probably the reason
why Iowa has always been foremost to
legislste against monopolies Of all kinds
and has upon her statute books today
the most progressive legislation of any
state In this union In so far as regulation
Of railroads, corporations and syn
dictates is concerned. This work
she began in 1871 and has con-
tinued 1t to the present time. Her
recent legislative restriction of trusts,
condemning them as illegal and placing
them under ban is another step for
ward in this direction. The recent
statute makes IL a penalty subject to
fine Of from $500 to $4,000 to "create,
enter into or become q member of, or
party to any pool, trust, combination or
confederation to regulate or fix the price
Of oil, coal, lumber. grain, flour, provis-
ions, or any other commodity, what
ever" or to fix or limit the amount or
quantity Of any commodity or article to
be mined, manufactured, produced or
sold" in the state. TO render this law
effective, all officers and agents OF oor-
perations and partnerships suspected OF
forming trusts or combinations, are re-
quired to give evidence, produce books
and papers and assist in unearthing the
existence of the forbidden trusts, save
in so much of the same as
may oriminste themselves. 1t is
quite likely that these regulations will
be found stringent enough to drive
the trust combinations outside of
Iowa and keep them out until they
grow strong enough to control the state
legislature. Of this there is not very
much danger. The population of the
state is SO distributed as not to favor
aEy concentrations of speculative oapi-
tai. Dubuque, Davenport and Burling-
ton, on the Mississippi; Council Bluffs
and Sioux City, across the state, upon
the Missouri: Des Moines, in the center
are all too nearly mated in population
and commercial importance for one to
oVershsdow the other. Her population
8 quite homogeneous, largely agricul-
;ural and so opposed to any legislation
hat would favor monopoly or create
rust, or suffer it to live. The
struggles OF 1S7l-75, with the railway
corporations of that state, proved how
nflexibly the people were bent upon
the internal affairs of that
tate themselves, and not permitting
hem to be the plaything of corpora
ions. Iowa has settled conviction
hat to her own citizens are entrusted {
he rights and authorities of govern
nent and that these are thus entrusted
or the benefit of the whole people. Cor
orations have always had to live BY
ule in Iowa since 1872 and the Jealous ,
watch Of the people is not intermitted .
oday. The decree of her legislature I
that, no trust or combination should
xist in that state, to regulate the price 6
( any commodity. or fix the limit of the i
mount to be produced, mined, manu- !
sctured or sold, of any oemmodity-isa !
ghteous decree affecting the interests
all her citizens and it will be en-
'rced. Other states might we'll pattern G
fter this wholesome example. a