The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-17
TRUSTS AND MoEoPoLIEs.


With the exception of the passage re-
ferring to Cuba, no portion OF Cleveland's
message to Congress has received more at
tention in the East than that dealing with
the subject OF trusts and monopolies.
This passage has been warmly commended
and heatedy condemned. In fact the
whole tenor of the discussion shows how
intense is the public interest in the sub
ject.
In referring to trusts the President said,
Their tendency is to crush out individual
independence and to hinder or prevent the
free use of human faculties and the full
development of human character" He
urged additional legislation to prevent
their in furious effects. The Secretary OF
the Interior, David r. Francis, in his re-
port went even further than the President
and said: eff some legislation is not en-
acted to check the growing influence of
wealth and circumscribe the power of
trusts and monopolies there will be an up
rising of the people beiore the century
closes which will endanger our institu-
TONS"
The New York Sun commenting upon
the report of the Secretary of the Interior
says, This is the chatter of fool" 1t
characteriZes the utteraEces of the Presi-
dent and the Secretary as sentimental
anarchy and irredeemable fubdnb." 1t
asserts that the Secretary "in the hrst place
is clearly foo and in the second place is
q disciple of Grover Cleveland. the prime
fomentor of social hatred and plutophobia
in the United States"
These assertions of the Sun have not met
with much favor from other leading papers
of the country. The issue is not parti-
san one and journals of all parties have
been prompt TO support the President In
his recommend alton for more effective
legislation on the subject. The Iowa State
Register strongly urges Federal Grand
Juries in that State TO investigate the meat
trust and asseri at every farmer in Iowa
knows that this com animation fixes the
prices of meat at every station In Iowa
where its refrigerator cars run. Other
newspapers of equal repute and eminence
point to the injurious operation of the
great trusts and monopolies OF the country,
and the Journal of Chicago in answering
the question, What have the trusts
done?" says: "They have done the coun-
try, they have done the people, they have
done the law, they have done the courts,
they have done everything standing be-
tween themselves and their Unsuitable
greed"
PROFESSIONALLY there is much to be
said on each side of the controversy. 1t
is beyond dispute that the trusts have
proven OF great economic value TO the in.
dustries OF the country. They have en-
abled large manufacturing plants to be
carried on during the past years of de-
preston which would have failed and
closed their doors to labor if such COM
binations had not been possible. They
have lowered the price to the people of
many OF the great staple articles of gen.
eral need. They have been in accord with
the growing principe of cooperation, and
their benefits have been felt in many direc-
tons. Nevertheless, it is certain they
have injured the business of small dealers
and have been regarded with aversion by
the people. 1t seems fair to assume that
this aversion has not been wholly unrea-
sonable, for q widespread popular senti-
ment never arises without some sufficient
cause.
1t is clear that one of the problems
which the coming Congress will have to
solve is that of dealing with trusts and
combinations tending to monopoly in
such way as TO protect the people frem
corporate greed and rapacity. A wide
spread popular discomfort cannot be ig-
nored by statesmen. We can hardly ex-
pect to see trusts extinguished, since they
are the outcome of the economic cond-
tons of the time; but Congress may rea-
sOnablv provide some regulation which
will prevent them from becoming oppres-
slve to the general interests of the coun-
try.