Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-10-17

view of the fact that it presented a
new, and, so far as we have heard, an
entirely original, idea as to the true
cause for the special development OF
trust organizations during the past few
years. Before entering upon the dis
cussion, however, Mr.. Rankin suggested
that it would be well for the people
generally to look carefully at the bus
mess situation with the trusts here,
as compared with the democratic times
of few years ago, where we had gen.
eral distrust everywhere. The demo-
cratic proposal to kill the trusts by
enacting free trade is the same old
proposal which we heard in 1892, and
which was then adopted by the people
with such frightful disaster to every
business interest in the country. There
are some proposed cures that are far
worse than the alleged disease. There
! IS one thing certain, the people of OF
tumwa do not see Admiral Kelly and
Commodore Jim Weaver training men
for the navy on the Des Moines river,
and it isn't at all probable that the
people of Ottumwa want to bring about
a condition which existed when this
spectacle was presented to them few
years ago.
Mr.. Rankin showed that as a general
proposition, the trusts We're the result
of that great revolution in business
methods which has been brought about
within the memory of the majority of
the business men OF today. The cleo
ftric telegraph. the railroad, natural gas,
and the utilization. of electricity, have
$50 changed conditions in the business
world that the day OF small things is
passed away. The market of the man
Infacturer is no longer restricted to a
small locality, as it was twenty-five
years ago. Markets are today not only
Worldwide, but nationwide, and the
jimmutable laws of commerce and bust
ness development demand and require
4 corresponding growth and develop
ment in means and methods of produc-
ton and distribution. None can gain
say the statement that these conditions
are the result of the mechanical skill,
Inventive genius and business capacity
of the American people. The labor
unions have had a marked influence in
bringing u..ut these com oinations OF
capital, and some of the largest labor
organizations in the country today are
disposed to regard these combinations
as GOOD thing for the laborer, as they
are enabled to secure, and maintain,
a fair scale OF wages with greater ease
than ever before.
But said Mr.. Rankin, "self-preser-
walton is the first law of nature; it
applies to business organizations as
well as to individuals. The democratic
party went into power in 1892, pledged
to repeal the protective tariff. The dis
apnonloral hNy HOW 10
power, brought on the panic, and !
germ of the trust, as we know it today,
1S93-94 and '95. It was the democratic
; disruption OF business in this country
that drove the manufacturers and bus
) mess men into combinations for self
protection against a similar possible
repetition of the same business disasters
in the future. l say to you that the
mismanagement OF incompetent democ.
racy.
: So far as the trusts succeed in an
z effort to control the market of any
product, and force the people to pay
an unreasonable and unnecessary price
] they are bad and should be controlled
II oE Su'pTeSSeus OO lSlE DIS tlltY OPERA lt
to reduce the cost of production and
better the quality, they will always
| inevitably have the support of the
people, for l want to say to you, that
the people will always buy the best
and the cheapest goods that can be had
for their money.
The only remedy proposed by democ,
racy for the evils OF trusts, is to remove
4. T., L.
: they do, that the declaration that the
trusts depend upon the tariff is an ex.
. ploded fallacy. There is no tariff to.
dav that, protects the beef combine
the hard coal, or the Standard Oil
} trusts. The republican party has al
: ways stood for the welfare of the
whole people. The republican party
: has today record on this trust ques
J ton. They have enacted the only anti.
trust LEGISLATION that has ever been
put upon the national statute books;
they will meet this great question as
they have met others, and will fear.
lessly and fairly legislate so as to pre-.
vent the evils incident to trust or.
ganization. But as long as times arc
as good as they are today, and all the
people so prosperous, with employment
for everyone who can, and will, work
isn't it well enough to take time to
find out the proper remedy and then
apply it intelligently, rather than tc
. smash the whole machine, which is
what the. democrats propose to do
with dose of the same old free trade
. poison that gave us the panic of 1885,
1t is far easier to talk about legisla.
ton on the trusts than to do it. The
: republican party stands unequivocally
opposed to trusts that are against the
interests of the people, and they will
: fulfil their pledges to give the people
the right kind Of legislation upon this
question.
THE RAILROADS, MATTER.