The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1896-11-18
THROUGH FOREIGN EYES.
ROBBERIES BY COMBINES AND
TRUSTS, AS SEEN BY VISIT
ING FOREIGNERS.
London Newspapers Observations
ON the Manner in Which the
American People are
Plundered.


The London Telegraph has for Zome
time had a correspondent travelling in
the United States, noticing especially
those features Of our domestic economy
which are known by the names of trusts
and combines. Up to date this corres-
pondents articles have found and de-
scribed 140 of these combinations. He
shows that under the operation of the
special advantages given or taken by our
laws there is scarcely single article of
use in the United States which is not
controlled, as to price, by the combines
or associations
Nothing in the affairs of these Ameri-
cans. says this article, is as well known
as the art Of getting suddenly rich. All
that one needs is brains and opportunity.
Some might add capital but really, in
this wonderful country, one meets with
so many men rolling in wealth beyond
the dreams of avarice, who began with
no capital at all, that in speaking of
America, at any rate, we may leave that
item out of account. The true speciality
of transatlantic sociology, however, is
that here the are Of amas-
sing not ordinary, but enor-
nous fortunes has been carried
to degree of perfection unequalled
elsewhere. In slow going Europe we
wait upon commodity" in this original
land the man who has brains makes his
opportunity. He does not tarry until
limping fortune Overtakes him, but bids
her hurry up" and it is wonderful
how often she Obeys.
But then he has the advantages which
is denied the Britisher-the state as.
sists him. Prices are kept down with
us, and the poor mans money is made to
go as far as possible by economic Aree-
dom in every direction. Foreign imports
kill domestic extortion, and that never
slumbering power, which our all wise
labor leaders commonly ignore, the
struggle of capital with capital, prevents
monopoly. Here on the contrary, thu
law shuts out foreign competition and
monopoly holds the field The short
road to the huge fortunes OF trade in this
republic has had for it's direction Bar
the foreigner and crush the small COM
petitor''
STANDARD OIL MONOPOLY.
During the last six weeks 1 have trav-
eled some thousands of miles in New
York state, Connecticut, Rhode Island,
Massachusetts, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
Maryland and New Jersey, and have
seen something of the working of the
sweet simplicity of this system. The
City of Cleveland may serve as an il
lustration. Cleveland is a town of 3OO.-
900 inhabitants, with manufactures Of
steel and iron worth some nine millions
sterling per annum; it is also the home
of John d. Rockefeller, and the head
quarters of the Standard Oil Company.
The steel and iron business may be better
treated in reference to Pittsburg, but the
Standard OIL Company deserves few
lines all to itself. The commercial his
tory of the whole world elsewhere has
nothing to equal the daring and success
of this marvellous combination. 1t is
the parent and model of all the trusts in
the United States, and it's principals are
the richest men in the republic, perhaps
in the world.
Contrary to every presumption, one
would naturally make in advance, the
men who founded this gigantic corpora
tion did not own the oil lands nor dis
cover new processes of refining, nor
bring capital into the business. The
chief of them had been "clerAA in
country store" and about 1862, in Che
midst of the civil war, and when the
great oil era was just beginning, he con-
tIived with difficulty to start a little re-
flnery at Cleveland. His counsel, some
years later, described him as man of
brains and energy, but without money"
With him were associated his brother
and an English mechanic, and by and
by others joined them, until the coterie
included some 13, all told none of them
having much capital. But they had DAN
tons audacity. They combined and COM
bined. After a struggle of few years
they got hold of the railways that COM
mand the outlets from the oil regions;
they obtained special rebates" that en-
abled them to outbid and undersell
small competitors. This power they
gradually extended, until every oil pro-
ducer and refiner in Ohio and Pennsyl-
vania was at their mercy. Some they
bought out, many they starved.
The prosperity of the Oil region,
which had been astounding, was sudden
ly arrested. Intense public discomfort
was engendered, which brought the in
jured country to the verge of civil war.
A contract with the Erie. the Pennsyl-
vania, the New York Central, Atlantic
and Great Western, and the Lake Shore
railway companies, reused the people,
IN 1917, to actual violence. There was
an incipient revolution in Pennsylvania.
and the startling contracts-the exist
ence of which was denied by the oil COM
pany-were declared by the several
railway chiefs to be cancelled"
OPPOSITION. UNAvAILING.
But the popular outbreak had no lazt-
ing effect, and the monopolists contin-
ued their victorious march. They reduc-
ed the supplies, raised prices and con-
trolled the markets. Thus, the capital
of about zero in 1862 was eight years
later worth 100000; in two years more,
G500,000; in 1875, s7O0,000; in 1882.
214,O0O,000; and in 1888, according to
the testimony of the trust president" /"
G29, 600 600.
Then the New York and Ohio legisla-
lures arrived at the opinion that the pro-
ceedings Of the trust were unlawful, ;, and
in 1892 the patriotic gentlemen compos-
ing it dissolved" when their estate had