The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-23
OPPOSED TO TRUSTS
NATIONAL GRANGE DEFINES IT'S
POLICY AS TO THE CONTROL
OF COMBINATIONS
IS NOT AT ALL RADICAL

Would Prevent by Legislation the
Formation of Business MonopO-
lies Such as Restrict Production
and Add to the Cost of COmmOd-.
ities-Favors encouragement of
UpbuiIdIng of Merchant Marine.
SPRINGFIELD. o., Nov. 22.-The Ma
t1onal Grange will adjourn sine die to-
morrow afternoon, Important in today's
proceedings were the reports of the COM
mittees on trusts" and the merchant ma
rine. both Of which were adopted. The
trust committees report was as follows:
The National Grange express their ap-
prevail of the address Of our worthy mas
ter, Aaron Jones, regarding trusts, and
demand the enactment by congress Of
such laws as will protect the people
against all combinations of men and cap
ital infmical to public policy.
We are not opposed to associations Of
interests which merely lessen the cost Of
production, but we are decidedly opposed
to the misuse of the power which large
combinations of capital give for the pur-
pose OF destroying competition, control
ling production and arbitrarily debating
prices of commodities Association, as
opposed to legislation, Is one thing; COM
plnat1on, as opposed to population, is an
other
We are opposed to corporations or
trusts which control the source of sup
ply and like the Standard Oil company,
reach out their arms and embrace all
competition. Special favors are granted
them by railroads, thus enabling them to
undersell and force to the wall the small
er dealers, who might otherwise compete
with them. We encourage the invest
ment of capital in every branch Of legiti-
mate industry, and demand fair play.
Inc construction of the Erie canal bene-
1ted the farmer. Competition has re-
duced the price of transportation in New
York 80 per cent during the@past twenty
IVe years. The expansion Of our terri
tory and commerce tends to Increase the
number of capitalized associations. The
actuate men has become an element of
danger and must be controlled. 1t must
be made Impossible for socalled trusts to
accumulate millions by selling watered
stock without adding to the wealth of the
country. Therefore we recommend:
RECOMMENDATION
Ffrst-Inspection Of all corporations as
IN the case of national banks. No cor
poratlon should be tolerated whose books
cannot bear such inspection
Second-Prohibition of all rebates or dis
examinations by public carriers.
Ih1rdITaxation Of all capital stock
nd Gi99ur Ir 9. L., capital stock should be
violation Of the law (A) by forfeiture
OF charter, fine and imprisonment; OBJ
by impeachment, fine and Imprisonment
OF all public officials whose duty it may
be to enforce the law and who fail to
perform that duty.
We would advise many petitions to
congress to pass remedial legislation
along the lines above suggested. We ask
the members of our body to secure state
legislation not in conflict with national
laws, but suited to the peculiar require
ments OF their respective states
one OF the greatest evidence Of trusts Is
the1r power to control elections and cor
rgpt officials. This can be remedied by
educating the people. Meanwhile. we
must control by the strong arm of au-
th0rtty. One principle worthy of con
sheraton is thus stated: Whenever
monopolies are based upon the acquisition
or nearly the entire supply of national
treasures of any sort, or upon exclusive
ownership Of raw material of any kind.
government ownership of the source of
supply is called for
The he National Grange of the Patrons
OF Husbandry pledges it's best support for
the suppression of such dangerous asso-
citation, and we invite the earnest CO.
operation of every lberty-loving self-re-
speeding citizen of the republic
The merchant marine resolution was
adopted as follows:
That we most heartily desire the IN
building of our merchant marine, but We
are emphatica1ly opposed to the prtnciDIe
OF subsidy, and believe the results can
ing thereto