The times., 1899-06-18
SUNDAY, JUNE Is, 1899,
Our uncrowned Rulers.

has appeared, giving the number OF per-
sons dependent upon the trusts in this
country The number of wage-earners in
the employ of one hundred and sixteen
trusts is said to be 3.547 900; and this
means that the bread and butter of more
than sixteen million men, women, and
children depends upon the trusts by which
the wage earners are employed.
These trusts control nearly every neces-
sity of life. and some of the luxuries.
They include the manufacturers Of -four,
sugar. baking powder coffee, salt, ice,
cotton oil. lard, starch, liquors, tobacco,
and dressed meats; collars and cuffs. silk
goods, worsted and wooden goods. cotton
and calico. leather. furniture, rubber, mat
tresses, and carpets; OF brick, pottery.
gas, coke, petroleum, glass. coal, iron,
copper, and tin; the railways, telegraph
and telephone and electrical companies;
manufacturers OF axes. saws, scissors,
screws, silyerware. stoves, agricultural
implements. tacks. pins, and needles.
and hardware; paper. soap, brooms. paint,
matches. rope, playing cards, fertilizers,
chemicals, schoolbooks, and coffins, be-
sides many other things of less Importance
TO mankind in the pursuit OF health and
happiness. Three and half million men
sixteen or more millions of human be-
ings out of our seventy-three millions
of Americans-are under the control Of
these trusts, and, generally speaking, alb
solutely dependent on their approval for
life, liberty. and happiness.
This last statement may seem a strong
cne; but il is not an exaggeration. Labor
has become so specialized that a man OF
average ability must work in his own par
ticular corner of his own special field.
or not work at all. He is OF no use out
side OF it. This is even more true of the
man above the average ability, unless
he possesses versatility and initiative
which will enable him 10 become pioneer
In some new business; and even then he
must be young and strong and possessed OF
some small capital and OF no encum-
branees, or he will hardly succeed. Hence
the man who so offends his bosses" that
they refuse him work in his special line
is quite likely to become a tramp. and his
family to suffer seriously. AS a young
worklngman who had studied the subject
more or less from the laborer's point Of
view expressed it:
What sort of a country has a black
listed man got?'
The bosses OF these three and a halt
millions of voters can, therefore. control
II they choose. That they do not always
choose to put forth their power only proves
that they are wise in their generation
The power IS there.
But there is another side to this ques.
tion. which renders the matter even more
serious in its threatening OF public liberty
If the men thus directly controlled by III,
trusts were evenly distributed throughou
the country it would not be so bad; bu
they are not They are concentrated II
masses here and there, and the trust thu
controls practically a whole community
wherever its men are in the majority
And its influence does not end with thos
directly employed by it. The cities ar
populated by the manufacturing people
and the mining towns by the miners. an
the railroad towns with those dependen
upon the railroads: but all through tn
rest of the country. wherever a man raise
something which he must sell to the trust
or desires TO buy something which ne mgs
buy from thu trust. the people are depend
ent upon the will OF these self-electe
rulers. They must take what is served on
10 them.
II the farmer gets less for his grain thai
II cost him to raise it, and then has L
pay large price for adulterated grocerie
md shoddy clothing. he cannot help him
self. If the wages OF railroad employe
are cut, and at the same time the pric
Of their clothing goes up. there is nothn
for them to do but suffer as meekly an
silently as they can. If the trust choose
10 exact from the people a tax OF half
cent a pound on sugar. nothing can b
done about it; II the price OF coal goes u
twenty-five cents q ton there is nowher
else TO go for it: the trust must have II
way How long do the American peoDl
intend to pay for being ruled by 4 rlu
tocraey? How much more power do the
intend that II shall have? Every year III
trusts take one more step toward whs
might be called owning the proleta-ia
man who IS compelled 10 pay out HI
wages as fast as he receives them for ii
mere expenses or board and clothing Il
himself and his family and then Is oblige
60 take adnlteraied and inferor goods.
not free agent. lie must keep his sol