The labor world., 1899-09-30

pSUSlIS WILtl lI1C Sc1V4CCo VI uuuuIeUS u
laborers will at the same time clear up
immense profits.
Talking About Trusts.
IN VERYBODY is talking about trusts,
and almost everybody is opposed to
- them. They fail to see that trusts
are natural outgrowth Of the industrial
system that has been controlling the
world since 1t had history, just as kings
controlled it until later centuries. People
do not understand what trust is. They
notice it when it gets very large and pow
erful, but fail to see the same principle
operating in even the smallest business.
But it is there, just the same. Each Is
doing business on exactly the same prin-
ciple and for the same object, viz. to
sell as much as possible and to make the
largest profit possible. The largest profit
Is not obtained by the highest price. or
instance, if the Standard Oil company
should put the price of lighting oil at one
dollar a gallon, the people would stop u.s.
ing it and it would get less money than 1t
gets at the prices charged today, says the
Appeal to Reason.
Now, trusts are not necessarily bad.
Trusts benefit those who are on the in
side. If the whole people own the trusts,
the whole people would be benefited by
them.
There is one real, complete monopoly in
this country. That is the post office. That
ynn io rhn11 n,xy lo1rv nN
firm being allowed to engage in the busf-
ness Of carrying written letters. Yet you
are not complaining about the oppression
Of the post office. 1t has never made
millionaire, except through the extortion
Of railroads for carrying the mails. SO
you see monopoly is not necessarily
bad. Public monopolies are 4good; private
monopolies are load for the people.
Had oil been owned and operated by the
public there would never have been mil
ionaire made through the oil business.
The people have paid several thousand
millions more for oil because private
greed furnished the oil.
The same is true of railroads, telegraph
and other induz ".
The days of small businesses have pass
ed. The great factories and corporations
are here to stay. They are petter and can
produce and handle everything to better
advantage. than small concerns, hence the
small fellows are falling just as the shoe
makers failed on the perfection OF the
shoe making indus 'ry.
. You can see this developing .on every
side Of you. There is not single indi-
cation that it is ever going to be other
wise. In the very nature of things 1t cam
not but continue, unless society Is going
back to primitive state, which you know
1t isn't.
As more perfect machineryfs develop
ed, as it will be; as more system Is In
jected into the affairs of men, as 1t will
be, it will require capital in greater ag-
gregations to operate things, and the
greater the capital necessary the fewer
the people who will control it. This will
tend to increase monopoli. 3. Competition
is dying. There was a time when 1t may
have served good purpose, but that time
having passed, it is now writhing in Its
>last death agony.
From now forward we are to have mo-
nopoly. You have no choice as between
monopoly and no monopoly. Nor have the
people of any country on earth. You
have the chice only as to whether it shall
be public monopoly or private monopoly.
This is all the choice you have.
"Be it enacted that the trusts dis
solve" will never put tho monsters to
flight.
Put not your confidence in the pretend
ed opposition to trusts by politicians who
have stocks and bonds in them.
Laws to tax trusts will not dissolve
them, for they will Immediately add the
additional cost to articles and you will
have to pay the tax.
Laws denying them the courts to col
lect debts will not dissolve them, for they
will only sell for cash in advance and
will use the law as an excuse for their
action.
Laws declaring them conspiracies will
not dissolve them, for it will be impossi-
Ible to prove in court that they are con-
spring, or are doing business on any 9TH
er basis than any other 1lrm.
Laws that attempt to compel them to
compete will (be imperative, for men who
can make more by not competing will not
compete.t Besides, when there is COM
plete monopoly, how can it compete?
LAWS tudL Will pul lue pIlCcS Ou lAoAA
products will be denying the right Of pr-
vate propety, and they would at once cut
the wages of their employees to make more
profits.
Laws that would regulate the wages of
their employees would be nullified by their
instantly increasing the price of the pro-
ducts to make it up, and more, too.
For the law to regulate the price of pro-
ducts and the rate Of wages would be
taking out of their hands the right to use
, their own property. and their interests
| would at once set In motion bribery OF
! public officials on a scale that has never
| been dreamed of. They would adulterate
their products and secretly favor such OF
| their friends in business as would de-
stroy all who did not favor them.
| To destroy the trust by law. if that
| We're in the realm of the possible, would
! be do away with all the great machln-
cry and force of the world back into the
| days of the stage coach and wooden stick
| for a plow.
| To enable small dealer to compete
with one who does an enormous business
| is impossible. except by giving him q bo-
! nus out of the public treasury, which
| would again tax the people already
| groaning with burdens.
| Now, what are you going to do with