The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1888-08-23
The ApeIogist for the Trusts.

CulSe tilc Country, anu dilSC'Su
to believe that they were not so
very dangerous after all. The
most serious remark he made
concerning them was that 'they
are largely private affairs, with
which President Cleveland nor
any private citizen hiss any par
ticular right to interfere" His
further discourse was 10 The ef-
feet that "trusts" were plentiful
in England and in no way con-
nected with protection. That
Mr.. Blaine should appear as the
apologist of ''trusts'' is not alto
gether strange, his whole doc
trine and political practice hav-
ing been in their interest. But
IN view of the declaration OF the
Republican platform.against such
conspiracies, his revelation that
this was meant in Pickwlckian
sense is unkind 10 the convention
that did not nominate him.
Mr.. Blaine even intimates that
some people do not know the
meaniug OF the word "trust,'
though he does not say which of
its several meanings he refers 10.
But he does say that the chief
executive of this nation has no
right TO interfere with CONNER.
cial conspiracies which aim to
depress the price of raw products
to the producer while unduly
advancing the price of finished
products TO the consumer. Just
such declarations have been
made by Sam c. T. Dodd. the
lawyer of the Standard Oil Trusts
and John d. Archbold. its first
lieutenant. But with this differ
ence: these men speak for the
monopoly to which they belong,
while Mr.. Blaine, with the con-
sent of party managers and or
gans, speaks for tthe Republican
party.
We have the proposition as an
article of Republican party faith
that "trusts" are legitimate pri-
vate business concerns with
which no private citizen may in
terfere, and to which the presi-
dent has no right 10 call the at
tention of congress with a rec
ommendation for legislation cal.
culated to curb their highland
ed operations. Though the peo-
pie of nearly all the States, by
their fundamental law, have pro-
hiblted corporations from engag-
ing in an ''all round" business
and confined them to q particu-
lar object. Mr. Blaine declares
for the Republican party that it
is opposed to :his principle aud
that it believes that neither citi-
zen nor executive officer has any
right to interfere with an associa-
lion formed without sanction of
law to control a number of cor.
porations, doing various b Isiness,
as one.
The Standard Oil Trust, the
pioneer in this field, is a produc-
er, transporter, manufacturer
and dealer IN petroleum and its
products. The laws of tile States
in which its principal operations
are conducted deny the right of
any one corporation to do these
thinks, or TO control the stocks of
corporations which do. There
fore a trust" was erected to con-
troll the stocks of the various cor
porations engaged in these vari-
GUS works for the sole purpose
of evading the laws. MIR. Blaine
declares for the Republican party
that citizens of these States or
the president of the United Stat.
es have no right 10 interfere with
this arrangement, because the
conspiracy to evade the law exists
by mutual agreement instead of
being incorporated according to
law.
The Sugar Refneries Company
otherwise the sugar trust, is in
corporated and as a corporate
body controls the stocks OF for
eigu corporations and corpora
tons of the State. This is also
s'private affair with which Pre- esi-
dent Cleveland, nor any private
citizen has any particular right
TO interfere" according to King
Jimmie, OF The G. o. z. But
President Cleveland has already
iDteriered with the brood of
trusts" the Tammany Democ-
racy has interfered with them ;;
the committee On manufactures
has interfered with them, and af.
ter the polls have closed On No
vemfier 6 it Will be discovered
that the sovereign citizens of the
country have interfered with
them. right Or no right.
Among other relics of the "Log
Cabin and Hard Cider' campaign
resnrrected by our Republican
friends is doggerel song that
The party used 10 sing in those
DAYS. tie chOrnS 10 which is |