The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1899-04-14

fr"tr"ti"n end 1ionopofy Are 20
Ie i1nsshi fh- Sam. a.
ia 1906.

II so N'Nt 20 III H. AZ ~ AlfI NIAAIfu
"a November. 1907. and made public by
the New York Verdict. is very interest
ng. Indeed, IL may Dc described as an
-cho Of the present situation. although
u was written "A year and halfago. Ii
Tails, as IL were, pat 10 the occasion.
In the course of his remarks. Mr.. Bryan
says that events have forced certain is
sues into the foreground. and the peo-
pie are ready 10 act upon them" and
lac adds: To invite them 10 pass over
these questions and take up new ones,
will be "A confession that We were wrong
/ last fall, and weaken the force of our
arguments" This is just as true now
as il was when Mr.. Bryan wrote II. and
the following describes the necessities
OF the hour from the party point OF
view as aptly As il did year and a half
ago. Those who are trying TO over
throw the reign OF plutocracy inaugu-
rated 10y the republican party will have
10 do the best they can, each following
his own Judgment. and trust that our
forces may be concentrated upon GER
tain reforms held i'm common. rather
than divided. when the next battle be-
gins"
By far the most momentous outcome
of the reign of putocracy inaugurated
by the republicans is 10 be found in the
growth and development of the trusts,
and. so far as the welfare of the people
is concerned. this trust growth is a very
great issue. To discuss il is TO discuss
in part. if not IN whole. the very great
est OF all the issues before the people,
which is the money question. writes
Clark Stows.l in the Atlanta Constitu-
tion. We believe that no political stu
dent now contends that the tariff is re-
sponsinle for the growth Of trusts.
That view may be- held by editors in
Ohio or Indiana, but il has been Practic
ally discarded by thoughtful men since
recent events have shown hat the tar
i'll has no possi BILE effect on prices. To-
day the wool induSfr ~, which was es-
Iecialiy taken care of by the Dingley
tariff is in a worse condition than any
other productive industry in the coun-
try. 1t is very clear. therefore. the
growth Of trusts is due 70 7 lac fact that
the great bulk of the ayaila bic money OF
the country l. concentrated in few
hands. Ten Tslcn in New ork control
al the important railways in the coun
try; one firm will soon cont rol the coal
supply OF the east. great banking
firm with inie. national con ncctions has
financed" more than half of the nu-
merous trusts and combines that have
been formed during the past IL months.
AS we have said many times before, the
growth OF trusts is due to the reduc-
tion Of the money supply which has fol-
lowed the decentralization of silver. The
increase in the gold supply, which our
mint directors have exploited with so
many fiourishcs has either been peck
eted by the gold syndicates- or il has
gone into the arts. At any rate, il has
had no apprec liable effect on prices. IL
4 is idle TO lay the blame OF trust building
TO those who engage in it, The indi-
. ,iduai firms 70 into il not merely 10 in
crease their profits. but a. a matter OF
self-protection- Once in, they no longer
have to fight -ainSt the competition Of
rivals More than that. If they need
money TO carry on their business. they
the local banks: they are able To bor-
row AT low rates from the institution
which has Financed" the combination
10 which they belong. The Consti'u-
ton expressed its surprise i'm isgs that
more trusts had not been formed. all
the conditions being ripe for them Ii
seems that they were then in contem-
plation by the Very plutocracy which
financed" the republican party in 1880.
and they blossomed out vigorously in
the latter part OF ls9s. In the first two
months of the present year they have
surpassed all expectation Thirty or
forty industrial com binations have been
formed. with capital amounting TO overa
billion of dollars. Some of our esteemed
contemporaries who have aided to
bring about n state of affairs which
they are now inclined TO resent. solace
themselves with the belief real or pre-
tended. that this great trust movement
is bubble which is bound TO burst with
a crash. The truth is. that while some
of the combines may be on an Insecure
footing, the great body Of them are as
solid rs the gold standard itself. are
based on its operations and are direct
results OF the conditions which that
standard imposes on general business.
This being so. what are the people GO
ing TO do about il? What are democrats
going to do about il? Trust expansion
is a definite part of the money question
lis the direct and ineyita ble result Of
the gold standard. which places every
business and Industrial enterprise in
the country completely at the mercy of
those who control the available supply
of gold. SO far as this money question
is concerned. the party is practically a
unit. Those who favor the gold stand
crd are so insignificant as 10 numbers
and influence that they have no infu-
encc whatever in the councils of the
| party. Under these circumstances. and
with the rapid progress Of trust expan-
sion menacing the interests of the peo-
| PIE. would il not be n dangerous piece of
folly for the organization 10 overshad-
ow this great issue with others on
which il is by no means unit II is nee