The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1898-03-09

In snort those VINO nave q trust on
money, "a trust on transportation, and q
trust on news, have in their power to
levy tribute on every man and every
industry in the nation in order to enrich
themselves and their allies. They have
other, and, If possible, still more danger
GUS powers; they can use the instru-
ments of commerce to extend princely IA
voritisms to some and to make deadly
determinations against others Thus, as
have said, they can build up one sec
ton Of the country at the expense Of an
other; they can build up one town and
tear down another; they can build up
one business and tear down every other
business competing with it. BY this sell
fish, greedy, and tryannous use Of such
tremendous powers they have made mil
lions of paupers to make few million
aires; they have produced general bust
ness stagnation and widespread. suffer
ing In the midst Of plenty. They have
even taken charge OF the government it.
self. They are the authors
OF the present hard times,
and they are directly responsible for the
organization of every trust. Was there
trust in existence before half of the
peoples money was destroyed by burn
ing the greenbacks and demonetizing sill
yer, and the control of our finances was
v1o to 1o oF ho IL,
cate? Was there trust in existence
before the railroad and telegraph, the
other two instruments of commerce, were
monopolized by private greed? During
the thirty years in which a few private
individuals, organized into corporations,
have secured a trust on money, a trust
on transportation, and trust on intelli-
gence, there has sprung up, grown and
multiplied, the aggregation of monster
Industrial trusts which are today blight
ing our Industrial system and sapping the
life blood of the republic.
These facts are too plain for controv-
erSy. Here, then, we have the causes
that produce trusts.
But what is the remedy? Clearly it is
to remove these causes. Clearly it is to
see that the instruments of commerce
are wrested from the hands of private
and corporate greed, and operated as
public functions for the public good. And
whose duty is it to take charge Of and
regulate these instruments of commerce
for the public good? Clearly and I'M
questionably the duty of congress. Sec
ton 8, Article /, of the constitution, in
enumerating the powers and duties of
congress, lays down as the third power
and duty to be exercised, the following:
To regulate commerce with foreign ma
tions, and among the several states, and
with the Indian tribes.
Thus we see that every congressman
and senator, when he takes the oath tC
support the constitution, swears that he
will use his vote to regulate commerce.
But how can he use his vote to regulate
commerce, Or how can congress, acting
as whole, regulate commerce, without
regulating the instruments of commerce.
Does congress regulate these instruments
of commerce today? Ne. They are reg
ulated by private persons and corpora
lions in the interest of private and cor
porate greed. Monopolists and corpora
lions use the peoples instruments of
commerce as the most powerful agencies
and weapons in the industrial system Of
the nation, to Cypress, tryannize, intimi-
date, and rob every independent person
and business enterprise. They bleed the
and then use a part Of their ill-gotten
gains, their red-handed blood money, tc
control and dominate congress itself.
1t Is true that congress pretends to
regulate these instruments OF commerce;
but the fact is that those who contro
the instruments Of commerce contro
congress, prevent the passage Of effective
laws to cure the evil and secure the pas
sage Of other laws in their own interest
which aggravate the evil. Congress:
made fatal mistake when 1t put into
the hands of private persons and syndi-
Gates these powerful vital and constitu-
tional instruments of commerce, which
make trusts, and make them greater than
congress.
In all our political campaigns the al
lied mOnOnOlies which have a trust on
money, trust on transportation, and a
trust on intelligence combine. THEY
SELECT THE CONVENTIONS THEY
WILL CONTROL, THEY ELECT THE
CANDIDATES THEY HAVE SELECT
ED. OF COURSE THEY CONTROL
ITEM AFTER THEY ARE ELECTED.
This has gone on until to-
day these allied trusts con-
troll and dominate every branch OF
our government What a terrible mis-
take congress has made in surrenderine
to private greed such powerful weapons
and indispensable public agencies fol
general business prosperity and the
preservation of good government! II
the commanding officers of an army
should disarm their own soldiers, turn
over their guns to the enemy. and then
attempt to fight battle, they would moi
act more foolishly or treacherously than
congress has done in falling to execute In
behalf of the people it's vested constitu-