Wichita eagle., 1889-07-31
TRUSTS AND NATIONALIST

A new sect, it seems, has recently
sprung up in the east, the source whence
comes most of the idioms and vagaries
that have from time to time occupied
public attention. The leader of this new
order, if it may be SO designated, is Ed
ward Bellany by name, but of unknown
origin or antecedents. The order hold
stated meetings for the discussion Of
pertinent subjects, and it has grown to
be of sufficient concern as to attract the
attention of some of the leading scholars
and thinkers of that section. Reports
say that the novelist Gable and DR.. Coll
yer were among the listeners Saturday
at the Deerfield summer school to a pa
per on nationalism by Bellamy. the
leader of the sect. The lecturer read his
paper, the report says, with an impas-
stoned delivery, discussing trusts and
asking the reason for their existence.
He replied to his own question:
''Simply because steam and the
telegraph and the whole multitude
of modern inventions have not only
abolished the limitations of distance
upon industrial effort, but are more and
more abolishing the limitations of the
size of the aggregations of capital which
| it is possible to use etfectuaily under one
management. Today there are no limits
save the earth's confines to the scope of
any business undertaking and not only
no limit to the amount of capital that
can be used by one concern, but an in
crease in the efficiency and security of
the business proportionate to the amount
of capital in it, The small businesses
have been disappearing before the large;
the process has not been so rapid as
many people imagine. 1t has been
! going on for 90 years. Those syndi-
Gates are largely foreign. Our new in
| dustrial lords are largely absentees. The
| British are invading the United States in
| these days with a success brilliantly III
contrast with their former failures in
that line. Eventually, and at no distant
period, If this continues, society must be
divided into few hundred families OF
prodigious wealth on one hand, a profess
sional class dependent upon their favor,
but excluded from equality and reduced
to the state of lackeys, and underneath
vast population of workipgmen and wo
men, absolutely without hope of better
ing a condition which would year by
year sink more and more hopelessly into
serfdom. This is not an exaggerated
statement"
Mr.. Bethany then addressed himself to
showing the way out. If the nation
does not wish to turn over its Industries
and that means its liberties as well-to
an industrial oligarchy, there is but one
alternative, ne said; it must assume them
itself. Plutocracy or nationalism is the
choice that within ten years the people of
the United States will have virtually de-
cided upon. The arguments not with the
nationalist. Nothing is more certain
than that we cannot make q revolution
unless the facts are with us. National
ism is the union of people to use the
collective strength for the common pro-
lection and welfare? The nation of the
future will be great partnership. Sci
fishness would be wiped out and the gov
eminent would mete out justice and
wisdom on every hand.
None of the distinguished hearers
agreed with him as to methods of cure,
although they all acknowledged the dan
ger. Nationalism they thought imprac-
teal. but they had no specific plan of
ren ely except one of them, who refer
red to the tariff. But tariff or no tariff,
Irregularities and injustice will continue