Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-12-06
What is the Remedy for The Trusts
and Other Aggregations Of
Capital.

ions are beginning to discuss the evils /
of Trusts and other combinations Of
capital. It is a hopeful sign. We
are glad that the ablest thinkers are
looking for remedy for the evils
which menace the country.
To the HERALD this question of
Trusts and the colossal aggregation
Of capital for the purpose Of monopO-
ling business, IS the most important
industrial question now before not
only the American people but Of the
world. These Trusts and assOcia-
tions Of vast capital formed to accom-
plish certain ends which capitalists de
sire, are creatures of very modern or
igin. That they threaten the life Of
the government and the liberties Of
the people we believe all thinking OBJ
serving people will admit. Within
the last twenty-five years, wealth has
passed from the hands of those who
created it into the hands Of a few men,
with greater rapidity than ever before
in the history of any nation, till now,
in a population of sixty millions, Y
men possess more wealth than is in the
government treasury, while two men,
Vanderbilt and GOuld-own togeth-
er more than four hundred millions
of dollars Twenty-Five years ago
there were not ten men in the United
States worth one million each. The
mere fact that individuals can and do
accumulate such vast sums of money
is enough to convince one that our
laws and business customs are IN
some way defective, and this alone is
enough to cause apprehension for the
welfare of the country on the part Of
all good, thoughtful, citizens; but
when we see that not only individuals
pile up these great mountains of
wealth but that they combine their
capital by forming syndIcates and
/ trusts controlling hundreds and thou
sands Of millions of capital for the
purpose of crushing out competition,
destroying dealers and manufacturers
of small means, gobbling up vast
tracts of land and raising the price on
the necessaries as well as on the lux
uries Of life, then as we view the mat
ter, the situation becomes serious and
even alarming. If we can correctly
Interperet the signs Of the times, we
would say that we are being menacec
by evils like unto those which caused
the downfall of ancient nations
Something must be done to curb the
aggressions of these monster aggre
cations of wealth these all-pOwerfu
corporations and trusts that recog
nize no rights OF individuals, tina
] have no patriotic impulses, that pos
sess no souls, that know no prompt
ings Of phIlanthrOphy or love of man
kind, that are deyoid of all personal
lily, that cannot be punished by tn,
laws Of man or God, and yet hav
such unlimited power to work evil
which can and do starve men. women
and children, by placing the neces
saries of life beyond their reach ant
which may destroy the best Of COY
ernments and bring curses upon al
mankind. What is the remedy 70
the evil? That is the question Will
the situation looks really alarming
is not necessarily so. There is
remedy for every moral, social, indus
trial i'll that aflicts the race. TIL
evil has grown up because Of the in
ordinate selfshness of men, becaus
of false idea IN society that it /
right for every man to grab all he cal
under the civil law and call it ''busi
ness that 1t is alright for him
get away from another all he can ge
by any method not forbidden by tn
statute law. Hence men have grabbe,
vast tracts of land, have ''watered
corporation stocks, have organize,
board Of trade gambling schemes, an,
by hook and crook have come int
possession of the fruits of the labor
of others unjustly. Nature is found
ed on the immutable principles O
equity, and when man or a natio
t departs from the bedrock principles
trouble ensues. The trouble some
times grows greater and greater til
! revolution, or a season OF stormy
! bloody, violent, and sudden, fright
ing up comes, This is the evolution