The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1899-03-23
THE MENACE Of THE TRUSTS.

The MENACE OF THE TRUSTS. |
gew Orleans states.]
A few days ago New York paper
printed q list Of ninety trusts with q
specialization of 81, 754, $4,000, and
here are others. Within the last ten :;
lays a number Of capitalists under
The leadership and management OF J.
Pierpont Morgan, consumated the
organization Of q gigantic trust with
3 capitalization of little less than one
billion of dollars. This latter will
control the whole anthracite coal out
put of the country, and is expected
to handle ifty-five millions OF tons of
this coal per annum, and, to raise the
price, the trust has already begun to
close down mines that produce a sur.
plus calculated to keep prices within
reach Of the people.
These figures have q very innocent
appearance, and as We have heard Of
similar fabulous sums in the Count Of
Monte Cristo and the Arabian Nights,
many may regard them as spooks.-
But the hard, remorseless fact remains
that they are realities. These trusts,
Gays the New York Journal, could
buy bodily the ten States Of Arkansas,
Mississippi, West Virginia, Delaware,
Florida, South Carolina, Vermont,
South Dakota, North Dakota, and
New Hampshire combined.
This is no spook. It is stern re-
morseless, terrible, hideous threat to
our liberties. It is the threat lying
behind the late war and the occupa-
zion Of the Philippines, but far more
significant and terrible. We are not
Of those who like to pirate Of the
evils of aggregated wealth. We think
the backbone Of the country is it's
rick men. Had we no men Of wealth
we should have no great merchants,
no railroads, no schools and univerai-
ties, no asylums and hospitals
Wealth, however large, accumulated
by honest industry and energy, is q
blessing to any land, and if We had
no rich men the condition OF the poo,
would be UNNECESSARILY worse thar
1t is. Let our community remembe ,
this fact.
But wealth accumulated under
government favor and by system o
tariff robbery Of the many for thu
benefit of the few, is q curse to th'
country and a threat Of imperialism
not like that OF Russia, nor England
nor Germany nor France, nor Japan
but like that cruel and bloody, tina
remorseless and ferocious despotisn
of wealth that reigned in Rome unde
the Caesars.
This latter is the sort Of wealth o.
which these American trusts ar
founded. But if they threatened q
with nothing but a crowned and seer
tered king and an aristocrscy base
on high birth and individual merit,
would be difficult for reasoning me
to see any danger in it. But this
not it. The 90, 754, SIS, 600 Of cspits
OF these aggregated trusts and th
nearly one billion represented by th
new coal trust, was never earned b
honest industry and intelligence. A
this vast sum Of money represent
the spoiliation Of the trade, propert
and industry Of the country by favo
ties Of the government. All this a
cumulated wealth has been gathere
and raised, We should say stolen, III
der the protection and auspices ,
the government. And the end is NJ
yet. A bill was before the last Coz
gress and is being aggitated with
view to its passage at the next CO.
i gress, to organize under the vicior
i scheme Of subsidies, . great shil
i q