The times., 1899-03-24

tuduBt lIdt ptlu5 tAStNtu hhuSi sAS Wy
Grafton of Republican legislation. will be-
come the supreme subject of the peoples
attention. In almost every issue OF the
newspapers is recorded the organization Of
one or more trusts. There are now more
than a hundred well defined trusts to con-
troll the production and sale of articles
necessary to life, with the capital stock at
an average of more than sixty millions OF
dollars. So impressive is the rapid move
ment that is bound to revolutioniZe the in
dustral life of the country, that here and
there Republican newspaper with a con-
science or else with fear of the ultimate
effects of popular uprising on the for
that they must take stand against the
gigantic monopolies in the next campaign.
Among these journals are the st Paul
Pioneer Press and the Chicago Times
Herald both of considerable influence.
Other papers of the same party find it ex-
pedient to defend the trusts. They argue
that the object is to cheaper production.
prevent the waste that is inseparable from
having many Establishments, and reduce
prices. 1t is pointed out that prices have,
in some cases. been lowered and rarely or
never increased. The argument is valid.
except that the people are dependent en-
tirely on the generosity of the trust man
ayers for low prices; and except that pro-
duction and sale is only one part of the
business and may be managed not accord
ing to the requirements of trade but to eff
feet speculation in trust stocks. That the
people have not been as hard pressed by
the trusts as they might be is no assur-
ance of future exemption.
1t is no exaggeration to say that the sys-
TEN under which trust corporations are
chartered by New Jersey must revolution
ize our Industrial and therefore our social
life. The crushing out of small establish
ments means that the opportunity for men
to reach independence by industry and
thrift is destroyed. The people become the
employees of these gigantic monopoiies,
while the increased aggregate of profits
that were formerly widely divided, passes
into the hands of the few. Their influence
over legislation we have. seen, but it is in
significant compared with what it must be
when the last industry is under a trust.
We have not long to wait for this Long
ago the Republicans, charged with the fos-
tering of these balefui concerns, went
through the form of enacting antitrust
laws, but we learn from the Attorney Cen
eral that they are Intellectual and inapp.i-
cable. The trust is outlawed in many
States, but owning the best legal talent OF
the country it defies the courts where ii
does not buy them. and continues its law
less career. Either the trusts must be de-
stroyed or they will destroy the best quail
ties of our civilization. They will revive
feudalism, without the sense of personal
responsibility for the well being of their
serfs that was common to the pstty mon
archs of bygone day. They are bound to
employ the methods of State Socialism, but
without its amiable motives. II the Re
publican party can induce the Democrats
10 make its chief issue the freedom of the
half-savage Filipinos and ignore the loss OF
American industrial freedom, they will
have every reason to congratulate them
selves.