The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-26
THE .SUBaIMiTy OF GREED.
An Alarming Growth OF the Trust
System.
Nelc YORK Herald.

Ne,c York Herald.
trusts are the nurseries Of
fraud -
This axiom of the law must have
been in the mind Of President Cleve-
land when he said in his recent mes
sage:
~ is notorious that this competition
(among domestic producers and manu-
facturerS) is 700 often strangled by COM
binations quite prevalent at this time
and frequently called trusts, which have
for their object the regulation Of the
supply and price OF commodities made
and sold by members OF the combina-
ton. The people can hardly hope for
any consideration in the operation "f
these selfish schemes. The he
cessity of combination to maintain the
price Of any commodity 70 the tariff
point furnishes proof that some one is
willing to accept lower prices for such
commodity, and that such prices are
remunerative."
1t is quite probable. however. that
even President Cleveland had no
idea now vast and far.reaching is
this form of monopoly.
A private trusts pubic iniquity,
and in many cases the trusts IN the
United States are the outgrowth of
the protective tariff.
MONOPOLY OF MONOPOLIES.
The trust system is monopoly of
monopolies. 1t is combination of
American manufacturers who are
already barricaded against any com
petition from foreigners by high
protective tariff, and who, not salts
fed with these advantages. conspire
so to limit protection as to insure an
exorbitant and fictitious price for
their goods.
The trust system puts the abso.
lute control Of articles that are nee
essaries Of life in the grasp Of few
very rich men.
The trust tolera;es no competition
no fair, open market. When few
powerful co:porations form trust
every other manufacturer WHO can
Lot be bullied or bought into 9 sur
render of his mills and factories to
these self-constituted dictators, is
driven to bankruptcy and ruin by
the freezlag-out process-that is to
say, the conspirators attack his trade
by underselling him, putting goods
on the market at a loss and sinking
money by selling at ruinous rates,
until the single competitor cen stand |
it no longer and is driven from the
field. Of course, as soon as this is
done up goes the price again, higher
than ever, for now it is at the mercy
of monopoly.
THE HEAD DEVIL.
The great Standard Oil Trust-the
most powerful and dangerous monop
oily ever organized-is responsible !
for the trust system. The vast ag-
gregation Of wealth--Sl00,0000OO IN
fifteen years-which this great com
pany has wrested from the petro
leum industry by the iniqnitous help |!
Of the railroad trunk lines, the ease
with which it has crashed and ruined !
small oil refners, the success with |
which it has bribed Legislatures ami
the Courts. sitting investigation" and
punishment, and its increasing pros
perity and absolute contro! OF the |
petroleum industry, inspired imita'
tors in other branches Of trade.
Some of these newer trusts, notably |
the Cotton Seed Oil, have behind |
them the power snd influence Of the
Standard and its wealth. All are
based upon the Standard idea OF
monopolis.ic control. 10 such an
extent have these illegal comhina-
tions increased that there is now
scarcely branch Of manufactures
which has not its organization for
setting aside the legitimate laws OF
trade--the natural laws Of supply
and demand.
The Danger OF Trust and 2:cnopeiie~.