The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-18
FLOWER DEFENDS CAPITAL
HE TALKS to THE POINT AT A BIC
4RANQ ER MEETING.

Corporations Not Necessarily HAD, Any MIR.
Than NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. That Have Rene.
nted All CiasseA-The Evil or tho Fircbrn,o,
That Organism Has strewn broadcast.
WATERFOWL. N. V, Aug. 1.-THE annual
field day Of tho New York State Grange was
held to-day at Thousand Island Park. Tho
gathering was not so large as in former years.
but a good-sizod audience listened to the speak.
ers, among whom were Col. j. II. Brigham ot
the National Grange, ex-senator Thomas Rob
inson. ex-Gov. Flower, and others. The princi.
pal interest was centred In the address OF OK.
Gov. Flower. whose talk In favor of trusts did
not meet with tho cordial appreciation of tho
Rrangors. He said In part:
Hard times are responsible for n great deal
Of suffering, but the worst feature OF them 10
that they give opportunity for so many dema-
gogues and unsound thinkers to wrongly in'u.
ence public opinion. In such times seeds of dis.
content and prejudice are planted which ger.
inmate and grow like poisonous weeds In n gar.
den, until common sense and industry pluck
them ous and cast them aside. We have been
through such a period during the last few years,
and the demagogues have had 80 much TO say
that some people fear the very bottom of society
is falling out. Because people have been poor
the rich are blamed. Business was dull, Il was
claimed, because there was no money. There
was no money because the money power
naI IL Ill lOCkeu up. inuubtTlhl COIlpell'
ton had been killed by the combinations OF cap.
ital. Thus, at the doors Of the rich was laid the
responsibility for misery, and the hard times
have been used to excite prejudice against all
who hold property. whether acquired by inherit
ance or by hard work. This feeling will certain
ly diminish with the return of good times, but
such sentiment is n frebrand whose shoulder.
ing embers will work injury even after the flame
has been quenched. Among those who come to
MIR ahprpa from FOREIGN 1nnda fndnCtrinntad
with socialistic or anarchistic ideas such a
prejudice is not unnatural. but there should be
no chance for it to spread or grow in genuine
American hearts. and those who, for selfish or
political reasons, stir 1t up deserve tho shame,
not the favor. OF the people.
In discussing trusts or similar combinations
of capital we must lay aside such prejudice and
measure their evils or their benefits by ordinary
standards OF intelligence and common sense. Wo
itself necessarily bad; but whatever it's nature
it has come into existence in strict accordance
operation and organization. TO inveigh against
trusts merely because they are trusts Is to cry
9 Sa1 am nSI Possession iom IN sNaqg fed ID of n ncaiHityL 9.,
set ones self against the laws of progress and in
t aenev OF OF the be'f fi%es in ind ant sn nad eSmm rne ZEN in
charity. or In science, is, all toward cooperation
and organization; and that tendency. exhibiting
itself in a small and comparatively unimportant
way at first. has become more and more an i'm
portant feature of our civilization and an essen
tial accompaniment in every field of effort.
1.-THE Standard Oil Company. harsh as it may
have been in competition with rivals, has GER
tainly not taken advantage of its monopoly to
exact higher prices from the public. So thor
ough and comprehensive has been the organiza-
ton of this tremendous industry that oil is de-
livered by the company direct to the door OF
nearly every vilIager in the land at the lowest
price ever known. AS an example OF successful
business organization after the modern method
of combination this immense corporation has no
:" We have heard a great deal said about tho
Sugar Trust-which is "A combination of for
%beF tEt inasiRSade coui Spf Sard Eiftin mlse t both n eoss
s mes1: to The hsva result Seaa of Of I pooling snL their int interests rest,
n neesn into Il T prost oesn to u give iven em ndpt1nenei To m p%s,,
men. and to reduce the price OF sugar TO the con-
sumner about 90 per cent. 1 can See no public
u could mention many more instances where
corporate combinations, or combinations OF
have given enough to illustrate my suggestions.
Corporations will be greedy and selfish. Just as
individuals. They should be controlled by law.
just as individuals. But because they represent
be denounced. NO more than a man should be at.
tackled because he has a tine house. They are,
and commercial conditions, They have not been
makes people uneasy. They have accomplished
much more good: Their power for mischief i
really quite small. Their very salvation depends
tyranny, or insolence will always mean their
downfall. They arc always subject. be-
CAUSE VI lnclT commanding pOSltlOn, 10 pD6
attacks of persons or other corporations
who want to be, bought OH. They must al
ways keep the price of their product below tho
figure Mt which an Independent producer could
furnish the same article. and they are usually
able to do this by reason of the economies per-
mitted by combined operation. They will become
more and more necessary institutions as condi-
tions become more complex. but their power for
good or their success will depend very much
upon the intelligence with which they are formed
and managed.
The public will watch such combinations
critically, as it should, but let us not be blind to
the signs of the times and to tho march OF prog
ress. Let us be fair in our criticisms. willing to
acknowledge what is good, as well as to con-
denim what is evil. II the logic of events changes
conditions from what we have been used TO. and
those changes are for the permanent good Of the
community or the country, let us adapt our
selves and our pursuits TO the changes. Let us
not sit ON the coat tail of progress and holler
Whoa! Let us rcadjust our occupations and
our habits. making sacrifices If we must. Just as
our forefathers had to make sacrifices 10 keep
in line with the march of progress. Above ali
let there be no room in manly American
minds for the seeds of jealousy and discon-
tent. Fortunes still are within the grasp of all
tage of them. Comfortable homes and happy
lives, which are far better than riches. arc
within the reach of nearly everybody. There is
more genuine happiness on your farms than
along Fifth avenue. TO such men rs you, req.
rcsenting the conservative thought of our coun-
try. we must look Tor rehuke 10 false notions
ana wrong doctrines which men may try to dis,
scmina,c throughout the land. l urge you TO
keep Your minds clear, TO look straight ahead
and TO bear in mind that the world was not
made in a day and the millennium cannot he
reached IN u generation,