The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1899-09-15

let US view u - NAIAatHs
Il believe that a conference OF thil
kind should not attempt 10 Judge a ques
tion 80 Important to our national vel
isre as this. by the selfish standard o
commercial greed. think that loftier mo,
tives should rule us in this discuss on.
THE commercial and financial aspects
Of the trust prolem are important
believe however. that there are eonsid.
eratons more important to US as q ma
ton.
In this republic Of ours vve are fond
Of say ng that there are no classes. In
fact. we boast Of II. We say that classes
belong to monarchies, not to Republics.
Nevertheless none OF US can dispute
the fact that our society is divided into
classes, and well defined ones. too. They
are not distlngu shed by differences Of
social standing. That Is We have no
arlstocratic titles, 10 nobility.
'rfhe distinction with US, Is based pom
wealth. The man Is rated by the property
he owns. Our social and political lead
ers and speakers deny this.
In doing so, owever, they ignore actual
conditions. They discuss what ought to
be under our form OF government-not
wha ts
THE strength Of our republs has all
ways been In what ls termed our middle
class. This Is made up OF manufacturers,
jobbers. mlddlemen, retail and wholesale
merchants commercial travellers and bus.
ness men generally. Il would be little
short Of calamity 10 encourage any indus
trail development that would affect un-
f8vorably this important class OF our
citizens.
CLOSE to them, as strong element of
our people are The skilled mechanics and
art sans. They are the snew and the
strength Of the nation.
while the business OF the country has
been conducted by persons an1 firms, the
skilled employe has held close and SYM
pathetic relations with his employer
"He has been something mora than a
mere machine. lie has felt tho stimulus
and ambition which goes with equality
of opportunity These have contributed
to make him a good citizen. Take away
that stimulus and ambition and we lower
tao standard oi our citizenship without
good citizenship, our national life is 10
danger
"I, seems to me. therefore that the
vital cons deratou connected with this
problem of the trust Is Its effect upon
our middle class. the independent indlvld-
ual business man and the skilled artisan
and mechanic.
How does the tr1rsct them It.
admitted ny the apVJgist for the
tru that 1t makes t. impossible for the
lr sSSul or fm 90 do business on e.
;mal SCALE.
"tt teads TO conceHt1Ve the ovnersh j.
and maus'eu.uGl Of all 49, OF business
activity into The hands or very few No
one denies this
'"rhi being so, it follows that the ln-
dependent Individual business man.
must enter the employment Of the trust
self preservation compels It, Duty TO.
his family forces him 10 do st.
"Ho becomes an empoye instead of
an emplayer His trusted foreman and his
employees must follow him
They have been In close and daily as-l
socistlon with him The new order of
things compels them 10 separate They
are both 10 become a part of the vast IN
dustrlal army with no hopes and no as
daily task to perform nd moi
pernonal interest and perhaps no pride inl
the success Of their work
Their personal Identity Is lost They
ebcome cogs and little wheels In great
machine. There is no real ad
vance for them.
"They may perhaps ebcome larger eogs
or larger wheels. but they can never look
forward to a life OF business freedom.
"a very select few may become heads
Of trusts but such opportunities viii be
rare indeed They will, therefore. be en-
tirely useless as incentives TO the am
bitlon OF the army Of those employed byl
the trusts as a result Of the ceaStless
and heartless grind OF the 'truts' IN he
almost insane ~esire TO control trade
ambition and perhaps inventive genius
viii be deadened and killed.
1.-THE middle class OF which ! speak
wild lose their sense OF independence.