The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1889-12-03
TRUSTS AND MoNoPoLIss.
Their Relations to Labor--A Smaller
Demand for Workmen.
Their Underground Tactics Against the
Psope-Entim6dation Of Dealers.
d From the Baltimore SUM-
NUMBER VIII.

the trust, from the very object of its
existence, must be classed economic
ally as a monopoly, and cited facts to
show that it had so revealed itself in
its attitude towards and in its dealings
with both the producers of its raw
materials and the consumers of its
manufactured products. / must con-
tinue this subject in other examples.
THE TRUST AND H LABoRER.
As this new power appears in the
field of production, there IS no section
of the people more interested to chal-
lenge it and demand what its influence
is to be upon their condition and op-
portunities in life than American
laborers.
The president of the whisky trust
claimed great credit for his organize
ton because, as he alleged, it had
voluntarily raised the price of both
barrels and coal, so that it was pos
sible to pay better wages to the coopers
and miners. He declared that while
not wishing +" to pose before the public
as benefactors," they believed in Gin
telligent cooperation" and being able
to pay good wages, were willing in
fairness to do so. His Intelligent
cooperation" l fancy, meant co-opera
ton in fleeing the consumer, and in
his c~omplacency he entirely forgot
j. that his trust was giving employment
and fair wages to only enough miners
and coopers to supply the needs of
twelve establishments, and had entire
ly taken away the employment of all
! who had previously supplied the sixty
nine that had been closed by the trust.
Where. are the laborers that found
employment in and for the re1neries
whose ruins mark the triumphal pro-
gress of the Standard oil trust ? or the
laborers that were employed in and
for the refneries that have been closed
and dismantled by the sugar trust ?
They could not be received into the
other refneries because the very OBJ
ject of closing was 10 decrease produc-
ton.
Punishment from Rome had for the
citizen of the early empire the terrors
of death itself because Rome had come
to mean nearly the entire civilized
world, and in like manner a discha gee
from any one establishment belonging
to a trust involves for the working
man almost total loss of his trade or
occupation, for one is all and all is
one. Just in proportion, then, as these
combinations narrow the field of en-
ploynent they undermine the personal
independence of the w~orkingman and
impair his chances in life, for upon his
opportunities of employment he must
largely depend for power to Hsme Or
to maintain his standard of wages.
When Mr.. Butterworth, Of Ohio, in
the recent tariff debate threw his
splendid abilities against the cause of
tax production, he found himself like
BALKAN, the son of Beor, who blessed
those whom he had undertaken to
cure, for he uttered what is not more
O momentous truth to the laboring
man than a familiar truth and an in
spiration to the revenue reformer-
"Capital can wait for its dividend, but
labor cannot wait for it's breakfast"
No deadlier blow can be struck at
wages than through artificial diminu
ton of employment, and the thousands
of laborers already discharged from
employment by the trusts, and the
thousands more that would gradually
find employment in producing for a
widening market if these organizations
looked only to normal profits and
sought them from the largest CON
sumption, are obliged to crowd into
other industries, thus helping both to
diminish and to leopard the wages of
all engaged in these industries.
ARTIFICIAL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF CAPITAL
EAN sERvITUDE FOR LABOR.
We hear nowadays very much of
q supposed conflict between capital
and labor, and much of our current
political and economic discussion is
devoted to plans for averting collision
between these great factors in produc.
ton, and for adjusting on q stable and
equitable basis their relations and
their apportionment of the profits OF
their joint production.
Amy artificial aggrandizement oil
capital, and any combination by which
its power can be indefinitely multiplied
and armed with secrecy and celebrity is
of evil omen to the future welfare oil
labor. The deed by which the sugar
trust was created, while studiously
general and cautious in setting forth
the objects of the trust, included
among those stated "to furnish pro
lection against unlawful combination
Of labor" The very astute presidenI
of the trust when asked the meaning
of this clause promptly answered thai
ne would consult his counsel, and b.
guided by his advice when necessary
TO determine what combinations o
labor" were "unlawful." It is no
difficult to forecast that a counse