The Advocate and news., 1899-02-22

robber. You are holding up our farm
ers under the guise Of legitimate business,
and we propose to stop the outrage. You
may go on with your business-we shall
not drive you out Of the State-but II you
do any Kansas business it will be on a
legitimate basis or with people who in
sist on being fleeced."
Against private enterprise the trust
would not take such threat seriously.
But you cannot drive the State out Of
business. Not all the trusts in the cOun-
| try with their three billions Of capital
could force the State of Kansas to its
knees if the State should determine to
take up the fight against them, and 1t is
only along the lines which the Seaton
bill suggests that the fight il taken up
against trusts can be successfully won.
Trusts are organized first of all because
illegitimate competition has begun to
ruin business and combination offers the
greater incentive for profit. They stifle
all free competition, and, except as a de-
VelOpment in our system, are in evecJ
way un-American. No one will deny
that where competition fails to such an
extent that the freedom of large num-
Der Of its citizens is in danger it is the
duty Of the State to step in and provide
remedy BY taking charge Of the busi-
ness in which free competition has failed
and conducting it solely for the public
gain the State does step in in such a way
that the interests Of all citizens are pre-
served.
Barney Sheridan suggested during the
last campaign that If it were right for the
State to establish State stock yards and
State fire insurance in accordance with
the pledges Of the Populist platform, it
would certainly be consistent to go fur
ther and have the State take charge of
other interests. Taking this idea seri-
ously but along lines where there is less
freedom Of business, why would it not
be entirely rational for the State to step
in and set up State operation in busi-
nesses where the trusts are in absolute
control? AS an instance the work of the
Standard Oil trust in the gas fields of
southeastern Kansas may be cited. n
free and individual competition would
work in this region Kansas would be en-
riched by the development of the gas
fields and the consequent building up Of
large manufacturing industries which are
anxious to take charge of the induce
ments offered at lola and other cities in
that field. But the Standard Oil trust will
not permit this. 1t ties up millions Of
dollars which should benefit the State to
crafty it's private interests. The State
should certainly step in here and pro-
mote its welfare by the development of
these resources. 1t cannot do this by
passing a law against the trust and de-
claring that competition shall be free in
the gas fields. 1t can, however, for the
public good, condemn the lands involved
and develop the resources of this section
OF the State in such way that the manu-
featuring interests which desire to come
to Kansas can be accommodated. The
coal trust can be treated in the same way.
Competition has proved such failure in
this business that it is impossible for it
to be run on a basis equitable to employer
and employees. The miners are robbed
and cheated at almost every turn in order
to keep the mines in operation BY TAX
ing convict labor out of the penitentiary
mines and putting it at work in lines Of
business which are not developed in this
State, and which are controlled largely by
trusts, the mines could be worked by free
labor and thereby set standard which
would influence the mining interests Of
the whole State. The State could not, Of
course, establish company store or in
augurate system Of company doctors
and blacksmiths.
The cry Socialism," is raised against
any such innovations by the State. 1t is
simply cry Of the trusts to divert atten-
ton from their nefarious operations and
to scare the people into submission. 1t is
not question of words or phrases; 1t is
matter which concerns the welfare Of
great number of the people of Kansas
and even of the State itself If it be So
| nio liopt 1nt ha nol1ad fhoA ha