The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-03-30
Every Small Business Man Being Crushed
by the Trust.


business any large any considerable place in the
United States Every business will be in the hands of
strong consolidated organization which called 1t will
destroy all opportunity for independent energy COMPETE
ton for that rise of young which, have boased
has been one OF the great opportunities OF this country
CHAUNCEY M. DEEPEN.
Thus spoke the former manager of Vanderblts railroads.
who has recently been elected the Senate from New >r
He is distinguished whose leanings, interests and
ympahe the side of wealth. and his prophecy cannot
be said be based upon the fears of the uninome the
calamity howlers the demagogues. Ordinarily when
public newspaper gives expression to the sentiment
clearly stated by Mr. Depew the hirelings of make
except say that he demagogue trying to
elected by pandering prejudice w quote from Mr. Depew
because lie known be rich himself and has always looked
the rich and powerful for prefermen and not because he
has said anything Others less famous, have pointed out
this phase of the trust strong as Mr.. Depew.
Referring in the interview to 'he of small
tall the firms of little means, composed generally of young
whose friends believing in their energy enterprise and
honesty, have advanced money that they may into bust
ness'-reerring to these Young men, Mr.. Depew says:
Just the frightfu competition they have to contend
with This great concern with its capital goes into
and in order the business to crush out its weaker
competitor will derse him. and because of its vast business
is enabled undersell him. He cannot help himself Every
of these small men, has to to the wall 1t IS mere
question of time when this big firm will absorb and ruin them
all"
To the same effect speaks the Republican Governor of Mich
gan legislature
1T extravaganza of despair anticipate the time III
the when the passenger and freight rates ON
traversng the country when the charges tor ee
graph and telephone service IN every State ana
the ownership and control OF every street car line
and suburban railroad shall be centred IN one
great office in the city of New York in the hands of one
board of managers and possibly the hands OF man who
NAV have the genius and the power control his fellows
1T has invaded other fields with the power OF glacier and
the rady of torrent One by one each OF the great staples
which form the neccssares of life falling into the hands of
its special syndicate trade combine which but
other for group Of men dominated by man of SUI
peor force and genius into whose single hand concentra
ted power than any king possesses and IN comparison to
whom the robber barons of feuda pgmle their
capacity for extortion and oppression.
Even in the small retail trading of our cities the process of
concentration only apparent Our cities longer pres
the oncefaar aspect of miles of busy streets occupied
by thousands of small but respectable merchants each doing
modest but satisfactory trade with his immediate neigh
bors and in line which he had been trained by long expe
rence looking forward the accumulation OF modest
peence for his old and the transmission his heirs Of
honoed and reputation for fair dealing which
much a family property his house or his goods
when the process OF concentration has worked itself out to
completion the law which governs both prices and wages will
itself with irresistible force The viii be
charged the highest price that be squeezed of him.
the aborer will be paid the lowest wages upon which he
keep life enough in his body perform his daily task
1t does require United States Senator Governor to
tell what the humbest and feels We quote the state
ments and prophecies of two eminent Republicans show
that the evil great to command the attention and
demnaon of those who high in the councils of the
party that is the special friend and upholder of the trusts
If the people tamey submit to the supaton of the trusts
the day hand when of moderate fortunes and of
fair incomes who have always constituted the very mudsls
and buwar of the Republic will pass away and be wiped out
The process is going "Ihe monopoe and the
peculator prosper but the wther Already I'VE
being reduced classes; in the first stage these will be
known the rich and the moderately poor and in the
nd We have
monied arsocracy and fastening yoke posteri
ty standing army be enhroned and bayonet argu-
ment is to govern
The rising tide of Indignation against trusts is not based
upon anagonis wealth legally acquired and honestly
poyed 1t shared in alone by the poor but by all those
of moderate and many of the rich who have desire
their wealth Cypress their fellows to destroy avenues
of to young men, the laws against monopoly
set at defiance by who the outlaws of
the trusts did nothing else wrong except converting lndc
pendent business of small MEANS into servants