Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-10-03
Z IAW AKIN 4 8 THE TRUTH.

SaMs Sl9SAmeSlc - - e 81
\ SslAWAKlNG % THE TRUTH. 4
SRs n s. q q:
Long before the issue Z as to trusts
became SO emergenth We had called at
ntion to the object lessons taught by
the eonsolidat lon and combination of
railroad s, and the. government control
snd management OF no few railroads
by RECEIVERS. appointed by State or
dsgalS conr is. We held that the sue
cess Aef both the combination OF rail-
roads and 2of the government control
and mana cement OF them demonstrated
how goyernmen { can control and man.
age railroads and all other enterprises
that only Z REQUIRE skilled managers.
qnd er1 honest and efficient supervision:
and the inevitable tendency must be
Ito Increased government control and
mar agement of public enterprises, with
The fur Their Inevitable effect of proving
the fai lacY and falsehood OF the stock
clap ZAP usually employed against So
clalism and communism-accus
The pc ople to the public direction of
large interests and industries formerly
left xclusiyely to individuals. and
showing them how much better by the
consolidation OF railroads. &C., it would
be for the whole transportation Of the
country to become unified under one
control and management for public
benefit. x;
81 The same general object lesson was
but the more strongly and widely IL
Illustrated when trusts rushed to the
capture of the country and all its in
;dustrles and interests, and the Yir-
gfnian- Pilot was the first newspaper of
the Union to show this and call atten-
ton to 1t; emphasizing the remarkable
fact that It was they who were most
5inimicalS to socialism and communism
who were pursuing course that at
once established the material benefits
of communism and socialism. and
forced men to turn to them in self
defence as sure refuge.
Isl 1t was q long while before our views
received any second from any quarter,
and then Harper's Weekly and the
Springfield Republican almost stimuli
'taneously published editorials taking
the same grounds as TO the commu-
nisbic tendency Of trusts thWt the Vir-
ginlan-Pilot SO long urged with all its
might; and now the Cleveland Ohio
Leader sees "the inevitable tendency
OF trusts. and says:
The more the trusts are discussed,
in formal conferences like the one In
Chicago and elsewhere, under other
conditions, the more ominoLsly plain
becomes the fact that these great in
dustrlal and trade combinations are a
powerful impetus toward socialism,.
Men study the trusts only to be driven
to defend them lest legislation designed
to uproot5 such monopoiies shall go far
toward State control of all business, or,
else they end by being led to accep;
socialism as the only means of putting
a stop to the exactions of private corr
porations. In one way or another the
between socialism and
trusts Is made so apparent that it is
not easily missed by any candid stu
dent Of; the foremost business question
Of the times
"On one side is the evident difficulty
Of interfering with the free comblna-
ton of q great many persons. possess
ed of very large wealth. Without also
few individuals. Those who shrink
from the latter extension OF the powers
Of government are often led to side
with the trusts against their enemies
because they feel that long step to-
ward socialism must be prevented at
any cost, On the contrary, there are
many others who discover the alterna-
I've between letting the trusts have a
pretty clear. field and taking measures
which are very socialistic and might
establish q dangerous precedent, and
consider the latter tho less OF the two
evils. In either case the work which
the trusts have done In opening the
way for socialism Is made painfully
THE men who have organized and
created the trusts have the utmost
horror of every form OF socialism. hut
they are the best friends. in bringing
about practical results. that the social
lists have ever found"
THAT Is O strong and clear statement
of the self-evident fact that cannot
escape the Study of any intelligent
manswho ;impartially, or seriously, CON
siders this great question so engross-
Ing general thought and investigation;
yet the trusts and the men who con-
stitute them seem as blind as bats as
to- what they are doing and whI.her
they are going-tbNnd to everything
but the power and money to result
from the operation OF .helr
combines. They cannot go far in their
mad career before they have terrible
awakening.
The Yirginian-Pilot has Invariably
declared It's steadfast opposition to so
cialism. It is the most stringent and
degrading Of tyrannies. leaYinc mnn