The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1898-03-10
. Tusts: The Causes That
Produee Thell...The Remedy.


e
strumeu,s Of commerce-Aoney,
transportation, Transmission OF In
telligence. How should they be
used and by whom should they be
controlled. Can agencies 10 pow
erful, and the proper use OF which Is
absolutely essential to the welfare
of ali the people, be trusted IN the
hands of . part OF the people 10 be
used for their private gain and
DO xe,i Clearly not. Then hou
should they be used aud controlled
in order to give equal opportunities
10 all aud promote the general vel
faref Clearly these instruments Of
commerce should be used as public
functions at the lowest possible cost
aud without discrimination Ia favor
of one person and against another
This must DE done in order TO put
every industry and business enter
PRISE on an equal footing. Has this
been donei No. But instead We
have permitted the reverse TO be
done. These vital instruments Of
commerce are to day completely in
the hands of private individuals and
spectators, who therefore have tie
business world at their mercy. When
ever government permits the in
str1ments of commerce TO go into
private hands it has surrendered its
most important function Of sover-
eignty. 1t has surrendered its power
to "estab lish Justice, insure domes
tic Tranquility, provide for the com
mon defence, promote the general
Welfare, and secure the Blessings OF
Liberty" 1t is to secure these rights
that governments are ablished
among men.
The instruments of commerce are
natural monopolies-they are natur
al trusts. When they are used Al
public functions, open and free e
the use of all on like terms and con.
ditions, then there is healthy compe.
tition, with widespread industrial
activity, and general prosperity and
happiness. Under such Just and
happy conditions it is impos
sible for an industrial trust e
be organized and maintained
But when these natural mo
nopolies-these Natural trusts
(the instruments of commerce
are controlled by private in
dividuals and corporations fol
private gain and power, the,
become the parent trusts this
produce general business stagnatior
IN the midst of plenty, and breed in
dustrial trusts to absorb every lin,
of business; and when such industri
Al trusts are organic ed and maintain
ed they aggravate the condition.
that gave them birth. The cause,
that destroy business prosperity ar,
the causes that produce trusts.
trust is the child of business stagna
ton, and it feeds on hard times. Pu
into the hands OF a few men the in
strumen's of commerce that all mel
must use, and how can the remainde,
Of mankind compete with them or d,
business at all except upon theil
terms-terms dictated by SELF shines
and greed!
| In short, those who have trust O,
money, trust on transportation
and trust on news, have it in thei
power to levy tribute on every mai
and every industry in the nation i,
order to enrich themselves and thei
allies. They have other, and, if pos
sible, still more dangerous powers
they can use the instruments to ex
tend princely favoritisms to som,
and to make deadly discrimination
against others. Thus, as have said
they can build up one section of tn,
country at the expense of another
they can build up one business an,
tear down every other business com
petlng with it. By this selfish, gre
edy, and tyrannous use of such tire
mendous powers they have mad,
millions of paupers to make q few
millionaires; they have produce,
general business stagnation an,
widespread suffering in the midst O
plenty. They have even taken charp
Of the government itself. They ar
the authors of the present hard tim ca
and they are directly responsible 70
the organization of every trust. Wa
there q trust in existence before hal
OF the peoples money was destroye,
by burning the greenbacks and de
inonetizlng silver, and the control O
our finances was placed in the hand
OF banking syndicate Was Their
a trust in existence before the rail
road and telegraph, the other two in
struments Of commerce., were mouou
olized by private greed During til,
tnirty years in which few privat
INDIVIDUALS, organized into corpora
lions, have secured trust on money
a trust on transportation, and trus
on intelligence, there has sprung no
grown, and multiplied, the aggreea
ton of monster industrial trust
which are today blighting our indus
trial system and sapping the life
blood of the republic.
These facts are too plain for con