The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1889-12-06
HOT SPRINGS STAR.
BENEDICT & HANFoRD,
rRopRlEroRs.
-, Published every Friday, at $3.50 per Year.
rhree montl,s: 1l :ssc six months. .......ti ti.s

|
| Public sentiment and a c'amor for
their abolition has set in to such an
extent that trusts are not nearly so
common as year or two ago. An
other cause which has served to make
trusts unpopular is the fact that it
has been impossible to hold to the ex-
act terms of the agreement all the par
ties to it. There were evasions in va
rious ways in the shape of rebates and
free carriage and other schemes,
whereby one hoped to gain an
advantage and secure more trade.
Are we to infer that combinations, and
the object sought by trust, has been
eliminated from commercial circles
and commercial calculations? BY no
means. a much more formidable
institution is taking the place of the
trust--an institution having legal
standing-an institution created not
simply by the mu ual pledges of men
having community of business inter-
ests, but an institution created by the
mutual pledges ccmented together by
their capital. Immense corporations
that swallow up all the smaller cor
porations, are now the popular thing
For instance the National Steel Com
pany. which is a corporation made up
of all the barb and smooth wire manu-
factories of the country. and calculated
to take in all the wire nail factories
also. This is no trust, but an immense
company that calculates to absorb cv-
cry mandatory of wire fencing or
freeze them out. This is the institu.
ton that takes the place of the trust.
and it is an Institution much more to
he feared. The managers of one of
the largest sugar refineries in the
United States said that an immense
corporation which would take in all
the refineries of the country, was the
scheme on foot among sugar men now.
How much worse than a trust will this
corporation be! This sugar combira-
tion n5w is striving its utmost to si-
lence and shut up opposition, But
for the shrewdness Of Claus Spreckles
the trust would have annoyed him
consi crably last week, How much
more formidable opponent will this
sugar corporation be than sugar
trust! These trusts of modern times
have endcavored, and Ill a measure
succeeded IN deceiving the people by
pointing to the chearening of product:
as result cf putting the control OF
one article into the hands of one corpor
alton. For instance, the Standard Oh
Company say they have cl,eapencA til,
price of oil to the consumer. Will,
this may he true, how much chcane,
oil might have gone under the inau
ence of healthy competition can only L
conjectured. This is an undispute,
fact however, that the members of th
Standard Oil Company have within
very few years acquiied colossal for
, tunes. The conclusion to thinkin.
man is irres stible. However there is
bright spot in the future. \ rccen
decision OF the Illinois Supreme Cou,
sustaining a decision of lower cour,
has crushed the gas trust of Chicago
!, This decision discusses the question O
trusts on principle and authority, an
decides that such combinations az
against public policy and therefor
illegal. The court holds that the Oh
cago Gas Trust Company has no powe
to purchase and hold the stock of othe
gas companies; that such stock is ne
necessary to 1t in the manufacture
gas, and that the only object of ownin
; such stock is to create a monopoly
controlling all the other companies,an
thus preventing competition.
The antitrust law passed last wint,
: by the Missnuri legislature has bee
sustained by the courts of that stat
1t is we'll the courts have spoken til,
quickly on this matter before the trus
become so deep rooted that they cou
not be uprooted.