The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-15
HALTED BETWEEN OPINIONS.
CONTINUED from First page.)

49,! 'hlng Is ruled by the commercial
opn Il. lie dollar seems to be the stand
ara Ior measuring all things.
In gathering material for the use Of
tnls conference, the civic federation Of Chi
caso sent out circulars containing in all
slAty-hine questions. Those INQUIRIES were
addressed TO trusts wholesale dealers
commercial travellers ORGANIZATIONS rail
roads labor associations. contractors. man
lie men, anu pun
Only one of these sixty-n.ne questions
related N any way to the effect OF trusts
upon society. | do not call attention 10
ton. N-'-0
90 SO for the purpose of showing that
al az the discussion of trusts. thete is
no indication that any thought whatever
mas peen gwen to thsir effect upon our ma
tiohai il1e, upon our citizenship, and upon
me ives and characters of the men and
republic 'NA
! think that this is the most important
consideration of all
Everybody has been asking whether
more money can be made by trusts than
py small corporations and Individuals
Whether cost of production will be in
creased or decreased-whether investors
VIII be benefited or injured-whether the
hnancial system of the country
VIA be Observation-Disclosures we
can better compete for the worlds trade
with large Combinations or trusts
whether prices win be raised or lowered
whether men will be thrown out of en-
ptoyment-whether wages will be higher
or lower-whether stricter economy can be
enforced. and so on.
In other words, the only idea nowadays
seems to be to find out how business or
commerce will be affected by trusts The
almight dollar is the sole consideration.
I believe that all these things are minor
considerations. 1 think it Is of far greater
Importance to inquire whether the control
or the worlds trade, or any of the other
commercial advantages claimed for the
| trust are worth the price we pay for
| them.
Do Trusts Pay the PeopIes
'Will 1t pay us, either as individuals
| or as a nation, to encourage 'trusts?'
Instead of discussing the question from
| the standpoint of commercial gain, let us
! view 1t as patriots.
Il believe that conference of this kind
should not attempt TO judge a question so
important to our national welfare as this,
by the selfish standard of commercial
| greed 1 think that loftier motives should
rule us in this discussion.
THE commercial and financial aspects
of the trust problem are important
believe, however. that there are consid-
erations more important to us as a ma
| ton
'In this republic of ours we are fond of
saying that there are no classes. In fact,
| We boast of it. We say that classes be-
| long to monarchies, not to republics.
Nevertheless none of us can dispute
| the fact that our society is divided into
classes. and we'll defined ones. too. They
are not distinguished by differences of
or iS
aristocratic titles, no nobility.
1.-The distinction with us is based upon
wealth. The man is rated by the property
he owns. Our social and political leaders
and speakers deny this.
I'm doing So however, they ignore ac-
| tual conditions. They discuss what ought
to be under our form of government-not
| what is.
Strength of the Republic.
1.-THE strength of our republic has al
ways been in what is called our middle
class This is made up of manufacturers,
| jobbers middlemen, retail and wholesale
merchants commercial travellers and bust
ness men generally. 1t would be little
short of calamity to encourage any indus
| trial development that would affect I'M
favorably this important class of our citl-
zens.
"Close TO them as a strong element of
our people are the skilled mechanics and
artisans. They are the sinew and strength
of the nation.
'While the business of the country has
been conducted by persons ard firms, the
skilled employe has held close and sym
pathetic relations with his employer
HE has been something more than
mere machine He has felt the stimulus
and ambition which goes with equality OF
opportunity These have contributed to
make him a good citizen. Take away
that stinNllus and ambition and we 4ower
the standard of our citizenship. without
good citizenship our national life is IN
| danger.
at seems to me. therefore, that the vital
consideration connected with this problem
of the trust is its effect upon our middle
class-the Independent individual business
man and the skilled artisan and mechanic.
How does the trust affect them? 1t
is admitted by the apologist for the trust
that it makes it impossible for the indl-
vidual or firm to do business on a small
scale.
eft tends to concentrate the ownership
and management of all lines of business
activity into the hands of very few. No
one denies this.
This being so, it follows that the indie
pendent, individual business man must en-
ter the employment of the trust Self
preserVati ton compels 1t. DUTY 10 MS lam
lily forces him to it,
He becomes am employe instead of an
epnloyer His trusted foremen ana MS
employees must follow him.
"They have been in close and daily as
ISOLATION with him. The new order OF
things compels them to separate. They
are both to become part OF the vast IN
dustrial army, with no hopes and no as
pira tions-a daily task to perform and no
nersonal interest and perhaps no pride In
the success of their work
Their personal identity is lost. They
become cogs and little wheels in great
complicated machine There is no real adj
vance for them.
"rhey may perhaps become larger cogs
or larger wheels, but they can never look
forward to life of business freedom
Few Can Get to the Head.
"a very select few may become heads
of trusts but such opportunities will be
rare indeed They will, therefore, be en-
tirely useless as incentives to the am
bition of the army of those employed by
the trusts As a result of the ceaseless
and heartless grind of the trusts in the