The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-06-12


suffering for clothes, his creditors are
not importuning and haunting him for
their debts. The possession of money
creates a desire for more, and as rule
the more man has the harder he will
scheme and struggle to add to his
capital.
Thus it is that the rich are more in
clined to be hard hearted, selfish and
grasping and more deaf to the cries of
want and distress than are the poor.
Not satisfied with what they have they
continually strive to take from the poor
the little they have to add to their
large fortunes. A number of weaving
corporations enter into an agreement
or combination by which they will
make certain quantity Of cloth for a
certain specified period, thereby de
creasing the natural supply and in,
creasi0g the price to the consumer, or
a number of tobacco manufacturers
make a combination by which they
pay only certain stipulated prices for
tobacco or manufacture only certain
quantities of certain grades or kinds,
thereby reducing the demand and
lowering the price to the producer.
The combined capital of corpora
tion with the combined capital of other
corporations work together as one cor
poration and make only certain guam
titles of yarns or cloth, or sell or buy
only at certain agreed prices, thus in
terfering with the natural law of sup
ply and demand and debating to those
who cannot protect themselves by
counter combinations the prices at
which they shall buy their clothing or
sell their tobacco.
This is what our statute denouncee
as unlawful and dangerous to the lib.
erty of the people," and is indictable.
We have trusts and trusts, and trusts,
cotton goods trusts, plaid trusts, to
bacco trusts, cigarette trusts, whiskey
trusts, oil trusts, sugar trusts, coal
trusts, steel trusts until the country is
undermined and covered with trusts
and the people reduced to such poverty
and distress that they are beginning to
despair OF again seeing the time when
man can earn his break by the sweat
of his brow, Trusts are the fashion,
the r8ge and the curse of the age.
Innumerable instances might be
cited, il necessary, to explain to you
the law on the subject of trusts and
the great evil which it is intended to
eradicate and prevent.
The existence of trusts has been pro
claimed by newspapers, denounced by
party platforms, inveighed against by
political orators and solemnly declared
by our legislature as dangerous to the
liberty of the people; yet like mighty
monsters of the forest they roam the
land, filling it with terror and destruc
tion growing stronger, more fearless
and overpowdering day by day.
Those who violate the law and zen
danger the liberty of the people" by
forming trusts and combinations which
take from their mouths the bread OF
the poor, live in palatial residences with
their silver table ware, their gold lined
cups, rare and costly china, walnut,
mahogany and rose wood furniture,
velvet carpets, hosts of trained ser
wants. elegant carriages, blooded horses
with silver or gold mounted harness,
silks, linen, broad cloth and sparkling
diamonds, a sumptuous table, and
drinks fit for the gods; while learned
and faithful lawyers, skilful and phil
anthropic physicians, teachers of learn
ing and patient industry frightening
away dark ignorance by their bright
lamp of wisdom, overworked mer-
chants, and toiling economical and
horny handed farmers must struggle
from year to year to keep the wolf OF
hunger and want from the doors OF
their humble cottages.
Why this state of things9 Why do
these rich people continually grow
richer while the poor sink deeper into
hopeless and despairing poverty
Naturally these should go hand in hand
an increase of poverty and decrease OF
riches, diminution of poverty and ac-
emulation of riches; but instead OF
this we find an increase of poverty and
accumulation of riches travelling along
together-an unnatural state Of things,
no doubt, in a great measure caused
by trusts or combinations as defined
by our statute.
Are the people of North Carolina, is
our fair land suffering from this great