St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-07-14
A RAILROAD TRUST.

The American people have evidently
came to the conclusion that their bust,
ness interests are to be controlled by
the combines, and are adapting them
selves to the changed condition of in
duStrIal affairs with remarkable facil-
ity. We are unable to say whether this
conclusion. was reached because our
people were impressed with the deSra-
bility of such change. or whether it
resulted from the apparent uselessness
of opposing the power of aggregated
wealth; but, whatever the reason, the
fact is as plain as the nose on mans
face that the trusts are now the masters
of the business situation in this coun-
try, and that they are here to stay.
We admit that it is a traveSty on
popular government where few men
are permitted to control the entire bust
ness interests of the country and to
virtually dictate the financial policy of
the nation. In bringing about this
change in industrial affairs, whereby the
trusts are allowed to dominate, we have
unconseiously produced change in our
social and political conditions which
entities US to rank among the monarchi-
cal countries of the world. Instead of
aristocracy, we have established plu-
tocracy, which is vastly more powerful,
and. i'll a degree, more tyrannical than
where the governing power is merely
hereditary.
Under the impression that blow was
being struck at the power of combined
wealth, congress passed the interstate
commerce act, which lodged in the
hands of a government commission the
power to regulate commerce between
the states, and at the same time to pro-
tect the public from extortionate trans
pOrtatiOn charges. Apparently salts
fed that it had dealt a death-bloW to
monopoly, congress sat down with
folded hands and in the most cOntented
frame of mind to enjoy the plaudIts of
the grateful millions, wholly uncon
sciouS of the fact that it had only slim
ulated the monopolist to renewed eXer-
ton in the finding out of new devices
for obtaining control of the entire bust
ness interests of the country. How
effectively the course pursued by con-
gress acted as stimulus in this direction
is demonstrated by the birth and rapid
growth of the trust system.
With one exception the trust system
has extended its @gis over every in
dustrial department, and it is now pro-
posed to bring that one also under the
influence of the combines. Probably
because the railroads were made the
special object of the operations of the
interstate commerce law it has not been
deemed wise to apply the trust system
to their management until the people
had been educated up to the proper
point of submission. Evidently that
point has been reached, for plans are
now being made to form railroad
trust, to include all the principal lines
and their branches. However violent
this suggestion would have been ten
years ago, and however much public
indignation would have been aroused
by the very mention of it, the announce
ment of the proposition to-day does not
cause a ripple of excitement; but, on
the contrary, people are discussing it
with less concern than they would
hundred different matters of purely
local import. Thus 1t is, we say, that
the people have made up their minds to
having the business interests Of the coun-
try controlled by trusts. And, such be-
ing the case, we fail to see why the rail-
road business should not be entitled to
all the advantages that can be derived
from the trust system. Weare inclined
to think that it would be better, both
for the railroads and the people, if
railroad trust should be established. In
this way, and in no other, can we ever
hope for stability and uniformity of
rates, and the complete abolition
of those cut rate wars which
are scarcely less demoralizing to
our commercial interests than they
are damaging to the railroad bust
ness. There was time when cOmpeti-
ton was the life of every business, but
those days have passed. The new prin-
ciple upon which American Industries
are operated excludes competition and
teaches the necessity for massing capital
and concentrating energy in each de-
partment of business lite. Whether we
have fallen upon better or more evil
times by reason of this new departure
remains to be seen. We are simply ap-
plying principles as they exist, and
making such logical deductions as the
facts warrant; and by following this
rule we fail to see why the railroad
business should be excepted from the
operation Of the prevalent trust system.
Plainly speaking, there are only two
ways in which the railroad business
can be conducted by which stability
and uniformity in rates can be secured
one is for the government to own and
operate all the railroads, and the other
to permit the railroads to form combi
nation by which they can all be brought
| under the management of one directory.
GENEROUS EATING.