The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-10-28
CONDITION CHANGED.
Trusts EuIit Up by Republicans Leg.
isintion Are Trnmpiing Down
the People.

In an interview with Cleveland re-
porter Senator Hanna makes the high
IL unorthodox admission that the
chances Tor success in the struggle
for life in this country are vastly SIS
to-day than they were some 20 years
ago. This is most dangerous doctrine,
and the senator is likely TO find himself
classed with the anarchists and TO-
mentors OF social discomfort. The
proper thing TO say is to insist that
every young man to-day has Just as
good q chance to become Gould,
Vanderbilt, a Huntington or Hanna
as those worthless enjoyed when they
began the pleasant task OF exploiting
the people The social philosophy
which was supposed to be safe and con-
feryative insists that opportunity Is as
great now as it was before corporate
capital had learned the art Of debauch-
ing legislators and securing control OF
all the natural monopolies.
Senator Hanna, for a wonder. de-
clines TO subscribe to this fiction. lie
limits his bright promise OF the future
TO the chance that young men OF aDil-
ity and industry may, if they are in
the employ of a good concern, get
TO the TOP in time and enjoy large SAL
aries. This is an abandonment OF all
the ideals that have made Americans
pushing and progressive. 1t is con-
fession that the old American deter
mination TO achieve independence, 10
become your own master, is doomed IN
the new conditions of the twentieth
century TO failure in the majority OF
cases.
And the worst Of it is that what Sen
ator Hanna says is true.
From G nation Of men striving up
ward toward independence and SELF
employment we have become nation
of servants. only seeking to improve
in some degree the conditions OF our
seryitude. The public lands which II
bvgone wears offered field OF con
Quest TO those who revolted against IN
dustrial servitude are gone. Tue grea
corpcrations ard trusts, built up pl
30 wears of republican legislation, have
! So circumscribed the field of individ
ual effort that for the clerk 10 De
come a merchant, the artisan TO De
] come a manufacturer on his own ac
count is a task almost : impossipl
as the labors of Hercules.
Moreover, the people who have buil
M and who now enjoy the fruits Q
this enormous structure of monopol
which is crowding the people down IN
IN serfdom are not the men who's
genius and capacity for systematizin
Industry have improved and are III
provinr systems of manufacture or
trade. They hire men to do that. III
trust marnates are men skilled in Jul
cling with stocks and bonds; the raj
road barons are men who know now
"reorganize" corporations the u
scrupulous and the unfit are at the 10
Mr.. Rockefeller hires men who kno
how 10 make oil. while he cevotes hi
self to the more mysterious operation
OF Sliding competition. Mr.. Carneg
finds relaxation in foreign lands viii
- his hired men devise for him metho'
of cheapering and improving steel al
I iron.
II is well that the people should u
Cerstand the condition that exists, al
II is Therefore fortunate that so pror
4 inent a figure as Senator Hanna shou
have the brutal frankness TO admit
:, But TO accept it as inevitable. as
j. capable Of remedy. would be Grimm
folly. The remedies are ut hand. al
70 the people have power TO apply the
20 whenever they will bestir themselv'
~ The attack on monopoly-the mono
"a oily OF land. of money and Of opportui
ty-strsnuously urged. will in tir
win. We will then see fewer great ca
Is tains Of industry, but more indepen
N ent Americans.-N. y. Journal.