The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-04-15
PINGREE SCORES
THE GREEDY TRUSTS
Greatest Issue Which COnirOntS the
American People.
LEGISLATION Is DEMANDED
Which Will Afford Some Protection from
the Gigantic OCtOpuSeS.
The SECESSION OF NEW JERSEY
Is Suggested as Remedy for the Evil
Conditions Now More Serious
Than Any Our People Have
Ever Faced.

New York. April 1.-THE announcement
that Governor Hazen Pingree of Michigan
was to speak tonight under the auspices
OF the Peoples Institute at Cooper Union
Drought out tremendous crowd.
There was not a vacant seat in the hall
when the speaker appeared on the plat
form His subject was TRUSTS" His ap-
pearance was the signal for an enthusiastic
demonstration. When quiet had been re-
follows:
stored Governor Pingree spoke, in part, as
The Christian religion given this world
by the Man of Nazareth has given man.
kind spiritual freedom. The emancipatio
proclamation gave man physical freedom
Industrial freedom is now demanded by
nlne-tenths of the worlds population.
America, freed of the negro slave, is looked
to for the solution Of the last great prob
lem.
The trust creates conditions more seri-
Gus than any our people have ever faced,
slavery and secession alone excepted 1t is
1ransht with more consequences to the ma
ton than the question of expansion and
foreign policy arising out of the recent
Spanish-American war.
Rrofiting by Artificial Enthusiasm
ut may suit the plans OF some people to
push the trust into the background and
treat the problem of imperialism and ex-
pansion the only issue of the day. But
ignoring the industrial evil means either
shielding the trusts or planning to profit
politically by an artificial enthusiasm over
war and new possessions
by one huge corporation which has ab-
sorbed the property of many corporations
and of individuals, too the corpora ions
whnsa ha
solved, gone out of business.
In this way the trust of today seeks to
avoid the antitrust law. Its managers
claim that it is not a combination. 1t is
not organized to restrain trade. How can
it -be?' they say We are merely one cor
poration. The same is open to others.
"Of course, it must be admitted that the
trust OF today is the same as the trust of
yesterday in it purpose and effect. But 1t
has lodged the letter of the law. 1t is, per-
haps, no longer combination, technically
speaking. Nevertheless, 1t is by force of
its immense capital and resources mo-
nopoly. No individual or small corpor alton
can compete with 1t. 1t is a monopoly in
fact, and should be dealt with as such.
1t may not be monopoly in the eye of
the law. But at any rate 1t should be ille-
gal as being against public policy.
The Present Antitrust Laws Useless
ut is instructive to note how useless the
anti-trust laws have been. They have been
enacted in twenty-five states. Twenty
states have no antitrust laws. In only
four states have serious agreements been
made to enforce them, that Is In Ohio,
Missouri, New York and Texas.
"As soon a trust is organized, 1t means
a mortgage on Its property.
'.It is plain to the dullest of us that this
process means immense quantities of
water in the stock of bonds. But what do
tho hnanciers care? The innocent are the
sufferers.
Eventually the wages of the employed
are reduced, and the consumer pays a
tribute in prices in order that dividends and
interest may be paid to the owners of the
heavy watered stock and bonds of the
trust.
Harsh as it may sound, the trust will
divide the people of this country into two
sharply defined classes-masters and slaves.
1.-The tendency of the trust is to place all
business in the hands of few men, whose
only ability lies in their power to make
money. All employees will be subject to
these men, and they will be treated as tools
to do the bidding of their mercenary mas
ters.
"It. needs no prophet or philosopher to
predict what effect this will have-indeed,
1t is already having-upon the independence
of the people. Men cannot be machines and
free men at the same time.
There is something to live for besides
accumulated wealth. But without CONNER
cial ndependence-without manliness and
fair play in busness-there is little hope for
the higher development of the people.
I'VE all know that most of the trusts are
conceived in New York because capital is
concentrated there. and 1t seems that they
cross the river to New Jersey to get liz
cense to live.
Don't think am prejudiced If I sug-
gest that the trust evils might be cured If
all of the other states should extend an IN
vitation to New Jersey to secede from the |
union. This, however. might be embar-
RAISING just now. Our vice president and |
attorney-general are both citizens of New |
Jersey"