The Topeka state journal., 1899-09-13


combination.
The essence of the new combination
is that it is a more cunning, and more
powerful machine applied to industries
That means that it carries in it the
very heart of the social question The
pithiest formula I could give of the
social question (on its material side) is
this: it is the struggle for the adVan-
tages of applied science and invention
to industry. At bottom this is the fight
in our great strikes. The coming con-
test in our municipalities is accurately
this: who is to control the vast ma
chinery such as lighting and trans
portation? This has come to be the
deepest struggle in trade unionism.
Socialism itself can not be better de-
fined than by its attitude towards ma
chinery.
Industrial organization on a great
scale did not begin until after the civil
railroad we had an outbursr OF vast
organizations of business machinery.
At this point, trade unions begin an
entirely new epoch in their history.
They, too, strike for organization on
far wider plane. More significant still:
here, too, are the beginnings of large
farmers alliances. Now another period
of necessary reorganization is upon
The mechanism for this is the yet
more Stupendous combination we are
considering. 1t will do precisely what
the great machinery has always done:
create profound temporary disturb
and drop thousands who were working
on the displaced machine But mean
time the new work has to be done un-
der new form, and when the readjuSt-
ment comes, more men and not fewer
Will be required to do it.
VERY few trusts will make 200 or 300
per cent profits. But nothing under
heaven will prevent the daring and
successful from reaping unusual re-
wards from the new ventures. If COM
petition plus legal regulation work now
as they have worked, however bung-
Hngly, in the past, nothing will long
prevent the consuming public from
sharing the advantages of the coming
organizations
when competition has reached such
terrible limits as it now has in many
phases in making and distributing
wealth, it is, according to our mood,
the climax of humOr or pathOs to talk
too loudly of universal economic inde-
pendence. AS all may observe, it is for
a large percentage of small business
men a most hap-hazard and tottering
independence. 1t is this heIter skelter
condition that we have to compare with
what the new combination will event.
ually bring about.
1T is said of the trusts that they
will raise havoc with our politics. That
this is a far graver peril than any
economic one is too clear. Recognizing
the magnitude of this danger and with
no desire to minimize it, express this
hope. The trust that stays will bring
the very ableSt men to the front. They
Will very soon have to carry on busi-
ness in an atmosphere of public opin-
ion thoroughly alert and aroused upon
these issues. 1t appears to me very
unlikely that men of first ability will so
far fail in tact as to disregard and af-
front an alarmed suspicious and power
full public opinion.
Nor have I the slightest question
that if it becomes plain to the people
that the combinations manipulate poll
tics to their own private end, and
persist in this, they will have them
selves to thank for driving the country
further and faster into socialism thar
any and all forces that have ever
shown themselves in our public life
A resolution was adopted that n COM
n1ttee to conduct the business of the con-
ference after today be made uD of one
representative of each state delegation
and each delegation representing national
organization.
Delegates representing local organiza-
tions from various cities, it was decided,
should have a hand in the selection of the
committeeman of the delegation from
their state.
Trouble started Immediately after the
motion to appoint a committee on pro-
gram and rules was carried. Secretary
John w. Hayes of the knights of Labor
announced that he did not propose to be
associated in any way with the New
Jersey delegation. This announcement
was vigorously applauded August
Cans of Chicago moved that the
knights of Labor and other labor or
ganizations be recognized on the same
basis as a state. After much discus
sion the motion was carried.