Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-16

to honor. one who won unusual glory for
bravery In the civil war, and who has
shown his feerlessness in stating his pe-
sition In regard to trusts. Being asked ths
question, what is your opinion concern
ing trusts and combinations3 he answer
ed: That they are detrimental to our in
terests. and all commercial travellers agree
to this The combination CT interests upon
square basis and legitimate capitalization
Is not the only evil: # is the faisehood of
imitation, the Issuing of stock far beyond
the needs for even conducting a trust that
Is the canker worm gnawing at the yitals
or commercial integrity: that is the great
est curse to say nothing OF the speculative
craze created, and the uncertain feeling
prevailing in business circles.
IF 1t shall continue Cthe organization of
trusts. there will be many travelling men
dispensed with. for a while at least. until
such time as legislation shall prevent and
the demands of the people require a halt
to be called. There is no justification In an
action the effect OF which is to drive out
of business the middleman. and the ordi-
nary merchant or manufacturer"
What Commercial Travellers Have
Done.
Commercial travellers have built up, or
assisted to this result. many a concern
which,, without their labors, would have
gone to the wall. They have made money
for their employers; of that there can be
no question. Yet several of these houses.
which have become powerful factors in
their particular lines, We're sold out to
speculative Shylocks. out for the pound of
esh.' and capitalized at many times in
trinstc value, in connection with other
properties secured in the same manner, the
line of production cornered farther COM
petition paralyzed, prices usually advanced,
dictatory methods adopted, and many tTay-
elers thrown out of employment and obliged
10 seek other channels for livelihood, with
the avenues in the lines where knowledge,
the most closed against them.
The promoters of trusts. syndicates
monopoiies or combinations, as a rule,
spring from Wall street or are close TO its
creates initiation bubbles which ultimately
will either break from overdisteusion. or
Will disappear at the touch of the people.
Inc organizers of trusts, animated only
by seiihshneSs, forgetting Americanism, fg-
noring all sentiments of patriotism. shut
ting their eyes to the constitutional founda-
ton stone. the bulwark for the safety of
our institutions; equal rights for ALL
during the enforcement of laws, which the
people believed would be adequate; but
winch now appear to be imperative: con-
spire to yictimize the public by floating
trust certificates, at unhealthy figures in
nation prices which mean in time a COM
plete collapse
Commercial travellers. with their hard
headed business sense, would bend to the
inevitable, should they be driven out of &C.
cupation by fair competition; for no class
better appreciates the significance of the
survival of the fttest;" but to be thrown
out of work, to be forced to the wall, by q
species of speculative conspiracy and the
Capitalization of capital, disproving the
oft-Inade avowals by the capitalist, that
capital and labor are not antagonistic. and
affecting the occupation of thousands. pre-
yfously employed in unusually Intelligent
labor. fails az a fact to set well upon their
digestive apparatus.
Only Argument for Trusts.
The only argument in favor of trusts,
and advanced by those directly interested
or by their henchmen, that the intention
is generally to reduce prices. and the con-
sumner to receive benefit, will attempt 70
show as fallacious from evidence of those
who have an accurate conception of the
true situatfon-the commercial travellers.
quoes the sentiments of one very able trav-
eier- Trusts are conceived in infamy, born
or greed and Graded in the lap of dis
honesty
Commercial travellers are against trusts
poth from self-lnterest, naturally to be ex-
pected under the conditions as an out
growth of combinations and because of the
principles involved, the injustice to the
people, the menace to democracy the SEM
biance to piutocracy ard the rottenness of
the whole movement.
L have heard from several thousand
commercial travellers, many replying to
circular letter, issued by the Commercial
travellers National League asking num-
per OF questions, and the universal opinion
Is that, as a rule. trusts have advanced
Who!esate prices in many instances fixing
the retail prices; that thousands of travel
erS nave been dispensed with and thous-
ands have been reduced In salary some
being retained In house positions as mat
ters OF policy in some cases at former nay
put usually at greatly reduced emolument.
AS July 1 and January i are the USUAL
dates for term contracts with travellers,
july VIII find several thousand more
commercial statesmen out of positions.
Inc travelling men believe that In few
years most of the trusts will have been
broken; but that it will be impossible to
completely shake off the grasp of some
mGEopoltss upon the throats of the people
MY correspondents state that the buy
ers generally Go not like the trusts, and
would prefer to buy from outsiders. condI-
lions being equal.
The census of 1880 shows less than CD ono
commercial travellers in the United States;
the census is incorrect; probably many COM
mercial statesmen are included under the
head of clerks and statesmen.
The number OF statesmen out of work be-
cause of the United States Rubber Com
pany are 300; the statesmen retained have
been reduced to salary, averaging, so L
am informed. $1,000 year. The American
Tin Plate Company. cut off about 30 out
of every 100 statesmen. American Steel
and Rod Company, 1 have been told, dis
charged 300 commercial travellers in one
day.
Office Force Thrown Out.
In giving these estimates am not con-
sidering the Office force thrown out through
trusts. 1 was not invited to speak in their
behalf; but 1 will call your attention to the
fact that the American Tobacco Company
discharged its office help in ST. Louis at
the time of removing the headquarters to
New York. l know of two head clerks In
different establishments who were discharg-
ed by concerns absorbed by the trusts after
nearl twenty-five years of service, and
hundreds of like instances can be discover
ed upon investigation.
Sugar and coffee monopolies have
thrown out 1000 statesmen; average reduc-
ton in salary of those retained, $1,000 a
year, % per cent only of the old force being
retained in house positions. The Standard
on Company employs fewer statesmen than
any other concern in the mercantile world
Of one-half its capital and profits; IT has
reduced the salaries of the statesmen in its
employ, with only a very few exceptions, to
less than the income of the average me-
chonic.
The leather trust has affected nearly Is
per cent Of the statesmen: the Electric Car
riage Trust has compelled several men to
SEX work elsewhere. The Thread trust has
dispensed with number of men; is getting
n inc trat oil bx-<5