The San Francisco call., 1897-01-29
THE COMING ISSUE.

In an eloquent address before the Illi-
| nois Legislature Mr.. Mason, the newly
elec ted United States Senator, won ap-
pIause from the Republicans by pledging
his devotion to the great measures of pro-
lection, reciprocity and sound money; but
| when he spoke of trusts and corporations
he was greeted with acclamations in
which men of all parties joined. It is
evident, therefore, that he spoke the uni
versal sentiment of the Legislature on that
subject and may claim with justice to be
in that respect q representative OF all
| Illinois.
| The passage in his speech which won
this unanimous approval is thus reported: ::
| want to say one word upon the subject of
trusts. The constant struggle of corporations
| against compe tition has for long time, and
will for many years to come, furnish food Tor
thoughtful minds. The trusts produce cheaper
because they produce more; but the great
trouble ha been that the cheapening of the
| cost of production has Injured to the benefit of
the few, while the consumer has been de-
prived of the benefits that justly should have
| iallen to his lot. shall, on behalf of the peo-
pie of Illinois, favor additional legislation, II
necessary, and the enforcement of the laws
already passed by our party, to the end that
when competition is destroyed the saving in
the cost of production shall go to the pockets
of the plain people, who consume, and not to
the pockets of the few, who grow rich by rea-
son of their combinations and trusts.
1t is not in illinois only that these
words will meet with commentator. In
Congress and in all the State Legislatures
there have been repeated efforts made to
restrict trusts and corporations to a
greater or less extent. Public sentiment
is everywhere ready to support almost
any well-directed movement in that direc-
ton, and all signs point to the conclusion
that when the tariff and the currency
have been properly settled the next great
issue to be taken up in our politics will
be that of regulating corporate activities
and preventing the injurious effects of
trust monopolies.
1t does not follow that because there is
unanimous sentiment in favor of placing
some limit upon the activities of these
mighty organizations of trade and in
dustry that there will be anything like
unanimity in fixing the limits or in devils
ing the law for maintaining them. When
the issue comes up for final settlement
people will divide on it, as they are di-
f4uSO Ou tAc l1OHOJ QuCSbiOH, lhtO COu-
servatives and radicals. There will be
party differences on this question, as on
all others, and there will be no longer
universal acclsmations for any orator. no
matter which side he takes or how elo-
quently he speaks.
What has been done so far to regulate
trusts and monopolies has been ineffective
and futile. The trusts that have gone to
pieces have failed from inherent defects
rather than from the force of statutes de-
claring them illegal. We have been, as it
were, experimenting with the task before
US. The genuine life or death grapple
with it is to come later. When it will
occur cannot be predicted. 1t is signif-
can't however, that one of the youngest,
ablest and most forceful of tho new men
who will enter the Senate in March has
declared himself in favor of meeting the
Issue at once and meeting it boldly.