The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1889-05-23
y. r. MEAD, Editor
Trust Robbery.


THURSDAY NAY %, 1889
Trust Robbery.
One OF the ways in which q trust
argues the innocence Of its existence
il 10 point to the trifling sum that 1t
steals from each individual Such
presentation Of the subject is not
fair. Pretty soon after The Western
Rural had unearthed the existence
OF binding twine trust. and began
to urge farmers to strangle the con-
spiracy BY refusing to use Irvine, the
trust and its apologists began to de-
nv that there was any trust. though
why the big cordage companies
should have sent agents wherever
there was any twine left over from
last year. with directions to buy It
atlany price, has never been explain
ed. In time, when it was ascer-
tanned that thousands Of farmers
were adopting The Rural plan and
were sending in their written agree
ments to use no Irvine at higher H.
cure than was paid last year, the
trust found it necessary to make
some sort Of an explanation as to
cause OF higher prices. The explain
alton was that there was legitimate
short supply. Be it SO, said the far
mers, but we will not pay the con-
templated high prices, whatever
may be the cause. Then the trust
addressed itself to the work OF show
ing how small was the robbery that
was to be perpetrated upon the indi-
yidual farmer. The Rural has figur-
ed out that the aggregate amount
that would be filched from the grain
growers OF the country wonld be in
the neighborhood Of 80, 600, 600.
We did not suppose that when it was
known that one industry was to be
robbed to the tune Of $2O, OOO, 600 any
body wonld care to take the trouble
to find out how much the individual
farmer would be fleeced:e and we
have never taken the trouble tie esti-
mate 1t. Life is to short too trifle
away in making that sort OF an
estimate. 1t is enough to know that
IL $50, OOO, 900 are wrongfully taken
from our producers, the whole FARM
ing community is SO much the poor
er. Public improvements cannot be
30 perfectly made; schoolhouses can
not be SO easily built or maintained
and SO on. When the farmers Of a
country are robbed Of even five hun
dred dollars, the farmers Of that
country are poorer, and their inter
ests will or may suffer in different d.
rections in consequence.
But the trust claims that the extra
sum which the farmer must pay for
binding Irvine at the contemplated
prices will only be about eight cents
an acre. That is q ridiculous esti-
mate, but let it go for the sake OF
argument. II there are ten acres Of
wheat the grower would be robbed
OF eighty cents. Has that wheat
grower who grows only ten acres OF
wheat never seen the time when
eighty cents would have been mighty
convenient! Well, il nothing were
done to throttle the trust, it would
maintain itself and continue its rob-
berry. Next year there would be an
other eighty cents loss to the farmer.
In ten years it would be eight
dollars: and while in ten years the
Irvine trust would have robbed the
farmer of eight dollars, the sugar
trust would be robbing him Of eight
dollars more; the coal trust directly
and indirectly would clntch its eight
dollars; the oil trust would come in
for its eight dollars; the gas trust in
the cities that furnishes gas in shops
and factories, and stores which sup.
ply the farmers with implements and
goods would levy its eight dollars
the railroad would get its share oi
course. and even at the absurdly low
estimate that every trust and comb
nation got only eight dollars in ter
years. even the few combination
that we have named would get
liifty dollars out of him. But as .
matter of fact some Of these combina
tions steal more than eight dollar,
from the farmer every month. Ths
farmer finds it necessary to take care
Of the pennies and it is q good thing
for everybody to do.
The truth OF the matter is that thi
contemplated binder Irvine robber!
Il q mopstrpus conception in its dis
honesty and mppstrous in the aggre
gate sum that it would filch from tn
nockets Of our farmers il they di'
not resist the conspiracy.
In some respects it is no doubt for
tnnate that the greed Of these PEG
ME led to the formation OF trust
It gives the farmers chance t
show their power as scarcely any
thing could. Farmers are the onl.
purchasers of Irvine, as we have fire.
Quently said. Ii they do not buy /
nobody else will; and If nobody buy
the trust cannot live, and some o
its members will be ruined. Blu
while most of the trusts have patrons
among others than farmers, ant
hence, in q measure, are Independent
Of the farmers patronage, the burst
ing OF this Irvine trust will strsk,
terror to all OF them. Somewhat il
line with the fight against the Irvine
combination is the al'ssuggestioI
that we boycott the sugar trust, frs
by reducing our consumption o
sweets, and second by paying more
attention to the growing Of sorghum
and all the time we are at work upor
these lines, we should be putting
forth our best efforts to compel oul
l~~salOtnroS IN mak0 II a panai nffo,,.