The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1890-01-29

petition. The cry OF stop THIEF Dy the
little merchant and little monopOlist is
the sheerest folly. Nothing remains for
them, as we'll as their victims, but to COM
bine also. But history shows that the
masses have never acted for their own in
terests until they were forced to it, or
were dragged by ADLER men one step in
advance against their will. To illustrate:
Carlyle informs us that prior to the first
French revolution the noblemen, in going
or coming from hunting, had the right to
and were in the habit of shooting at men
and women working in the fields TO try
their aim or empty the barrels of their
guns. 1t seems these nOblemen (?O be-
came so fond of shooting human beings
through "vested rights" that it became
necessary for the Pope to interfere, and
the king passed a law limiting the num-
Der a nobleman might shoot each day to
two human beings. WE'LL to-day the
privileged class-the trusts, syndicates,
railroad express companies, corporations,
etc., don't shoot the unincOrporated;
they simply bind them hand, foot and
soul and deliberately rob them Qegally),
and the sooner our people understand
that our form of government, laws and
economic conditions are not broad, wide
or deep enough to protect them in the pur-
suit of usefulness and happiness the bet
ter it will be for all concerned. Yet these
trusts are to-day the greatest blessing we
have, as they will set people to thinking
and show us where we as people are so
rapidly drifting. The protests and laws
against trusts Claws forsoOth) by legisla-
| tors who are themselves mostly the pro-
motors and controllers of said trusts, and
even if they were honest and sincere would
| be as impotent to stop business men from
uniting for gain as would be the attempt
| of a crowd of children to sink a monitor
| by shooting peas at it. Trusts are fact
| Trusts are the result of competition, but
with their life competition dies. They at
tract into their cooperative union by as
surance OF big gain and little work and
uO TlSh, VI CuGy CIu0n OuO vi 0Al0COAACO C'AA
competitors.
Producers might learn a lesson from
trusts did they but stop long enough to
| think in their wild and mad Efforts to skin
one another. AS matter of fact these
big (orpig) headed men OF these big trusts
| do not know they are setting an example
which eventually will result in either
anarchy or in the establishment of coop
erative production and distribution and
means of transportation. They do not
realize the fact that they-the railroads,
steamship companies, telegraph, express
companies, banks, etc.-are actually the
real communists, with this difference ::
| that they always take but never divide.
That does not matter. Their selfish
ness is Fastening the overthrow OF the
competition system as a ruling force, as
certainly as fire melts ice, and will be the
| open sesame OF better things; for as soon
as the railroads get into the hands OF one
or few men las the telegraphs are now
and all the lands, as well as food prod
ucts and expressage, gets into the hands
| of companies as our money now is, there
will be change, either brought about by
; reason or otherwise. In conclusion can
! only say with Thos. Jefferson: Il weep
| for my country when think that God is
| just, and that His justice cannot sleep for
| ever" FRANK dIGEL.
No