Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-02-15
Friday, February IS, 1889.
THE WRONG OF THE TRUSTS.

hope, been taken to express something
of more practical Importance III bus
mess sense. The good word "protcc-
ton was first literally stolen for the
benefit and behoof Of the robber tariff
barons, who by legal enactments for
for their own greed prevent the free
interchange Of the best fruits Of the
earth among nations. And their greed
being Unsuitable they have gone far
Their and have kidnapped the word
trust and have employed it to mean
the conspiracy with which the spolia-
ton system Of cxorbitant import du-
ties is supplemented, to prevent com
petition among home manufacturers.
While the first chapter in the acts of
these covctous bcneliciaries of restrict
ed competition was viewed with com
paratye unconcern, the second has
sent CONSERVATION throughout the
length and breadth Of the land, and
conspiracy under the name of trusts
has come to be regarded as source
of great national peril. It is being
attach'" from ti'o P'lliI an" through
the press; and to find remedy for
the evil LAWYERS are delyinp deem into
A., il, .,,,,.n t,,u .nd ,,.;a1.,,n.
are "c''SIhS ne" ana unprecedented
measures for the same purpose. But
tha etrug,,In has only commenced The
-. ,.-
- ''''.' ~ '''' i',i''' ''''''' IL ''', i
might ana crush the trusts or be
crushed 10y them As this struggle is
.nr ,henrhinu interest tbn following
'A''''I nom an ''i' '''l''i''l ~ I''Ie
or TRUSTS from and Ethical View
Point, recently published in the New
,,orE Christian \d,o.atn j. proftohlo
'''''i'E
The wrong of u " trust need not
be sought IN the fact that it is a
e combination" \ combination may
be Il public benefit, as many business
corporations undoubtedly are; but
q" trust is Il combination formed for
au unjust end. It is a conspiracy
to "cnhance the price of mcrchau-
disc Instead of seeking to main
tain prices, as competition does, at a
point sufficient to pay expenses of pro
duCtlou, it supprcsscs competition by
unjust devices; it controls productions;
il holds back the thing ii produces I'm
til the market tor il IS mdcrstoCkcd,
and it reaches " the highest point to
which the competition of buyers can
raise it. The will and power of pUr
Chascrs to offer high price forms the
only limit to the rapaclty of trusts.
This may amount to many times the
the sum il would fetch were competi-
tIou permitted to operate in its pro-
duction."
That these arbitrary proceedings are
immoral in their purpose, and injuri-
Gus both tu individual producers and to
the public, is self evident. I'm crush
ing competitors the trust trampIcs
ON the right of every man To- freely
pursue his occupation in his own way.
I'm dcsigucdly understanding the mar
krt until the necessities of the public
compel il to pay for IN article "a price
far hrvoud what would fairly repay
the cost of production. il is guilty ct
cNturtjon. which, in view of the forces
employed to obtain it, partakrs, if not
in form. vet in spirit. of the nature of
robbery Where the article thus forced
tu au unjust price is one Of the ncCeS-
stiles ut life, this cNtortjou is cruel,
because, rs in the case of sugar. al
ready raised 10y trust two cents
per pound above what il would Ice if
competition in refining IT were not
suppressed by ii, the poor are made to
suffer The trust is also an enemy
To- the general interests of trade, man
utactmr and commerce. in that these
can never be prosperous If they are
subject 10 disturbances caused by such
arbitrary measures rs enter into the
practices Of these unprtnclpled COM
hmations.
These criminal qualities ia trusts "
and their kindred evils, known as
= corners, are recognized by that
:" common law which embodieS, the
practical common sense and the moral
convictions of our Anglo-NaNon ances-
tors. Ellis G.. Seymour, in the AndoYcr
REVIEW, recently wrote that trusts
and corners are recognized in com
mon law as criminal" He also cites
/ ord Peterborough. Sergeant Hawkins.
and Justice Coke as authorities. who
assert that all such manipulations of
the market are highly criminal"
These are high legal authorities. but
there is one whose authority is cNex-
uressiblv higher. even Jesus Christ. the
kIog of IawriyrrS. He proclaimed n
nrinripIe nf universal nhligatinn which
placed the modern trust" under
such a han as nrcrIudes every Chris
ti1n from rDterinu even into symp3tby
Win il r, he y Voluntary nartirinaDt
i'm its rxt,rtnl nr,fits woui5 indrn5
.,,.,rr r,rr,it,,r, If his rnrist;,,, ch,r
,ctnr hnc,msn Ms nri nat only. ~
anirmnJ NM hrn,d command ~ no
law .Thnn shall love thy neiqhbor rs
tl,,...lf. l,t as, ,r,,,a ! tbis I,,;,
~. ,x,,,itinn. ..WbatSna,-,,. =, ,,.,,I5
th,t MN should a. mt. ,-,u a., ,-o ~,
me, thc,, " ,c,aptinr mis- 1,w ~
hin5fr,r ,,,,p hin, bo,x ,,an anv Cbris
tim ~ faII,v.shi,, With = tr,st which