Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1899-04-28

intense activity and a multitude Of capa-
hle men shrank into the common mass
aud were lost. Mental inertia ON one
end Of the line begat increased power
ShaI~ned 10y avarice on the other, and
while the people We're avoiding the dan
ger Of landlordry on the one hand and
endeayoring TO make property secure in
the hands Of each individual they struck
huge accumulations composed of indi-
vidualS which could make corn as scarce
as an Egyptian famine without any fam
inc, make commodities plenty for the
purposes of purchase and scarce for the
purpose Of sales, raise in day one man
to ailluencc and reduce another to pow
erty, make servants masters of their EN-
ployers almost in a day. While the
American people were watching jealoasly
for evils out of which grew large estates
landed and otherwise, these huge COM
binations floated in among them like ice
bergs half concealed beneath the waters
and which like them will dissolve and
engulf all who are attracted to them by
their cold glittering surface.
The establishment or maintenance of
simply the autonomy of government or
of a single originator of it considered in
the abstract or in its relations to its
originator or even originators is of COM
paratively small Importance. Neither
are the most beneficial results obtained
from it by Il multitude of individuals
being so knit into it as to lose or even
dwarf their Municipalities. Dominion,
power, immensely and expansion have
sort of grandeur in imagination But
that is the most efficient of human or
CARNATIONS which brings individuals and
individual interests nearer in touch with
it, that develops individuals most, that
stirS each man to the greatest interest
and activity in promoting the purposes
and objects which belong to it.
The same principle applies to the in
dustrial interests of country. The less
leaders there are in the invention of
means and prosecuting designs for the
development of the resources of coun-
try the more will individuality be
dwarfed; and the more leaders there are
the more will the individuality of the
country be developed. 1t is beyond
question that associations of men man
aged by the peculiar genius or adapta-
bility Of one or few minds are more
effective i'll accomplishment than would
be the efforts of each member compos-
ing such association acting singly. Only
when such associations are limited to
such an extent as to give opportunity
for the exercise of all the genius and ELL
terprise the country affords and to pro
tect the masses or consumers products
by healthy competition from extor-
tlonate prices resulting from monopoly
the greatest development of mental and
material resources are secured and the
greatest justice to the greatest number is
secured. But when associations grow to
such enormous proportions that any
branch of manufacturers or industry |
swallows up individual enterprises and |
gives one or very few the control, max |
ing the rest but parts of vast machine
controlled by brains whose main pur-
pose is to Cypress the masses by vast |
monopoly and the result of which is to
drain the pockets of the many to fill
those of one man or few then wealth |
accumulates and men decay" Then the
rich will fast grow richer and the poor
poorer. Then great injustice is done to
the poor, capable men are deprived of
great opportunities which belong of right
to them, and the public loses much of
the growth and development of men
who would otherwise be inspired to in
vention, designs and progress; and the |
masses will be impoverished and sunk to
mental conditions, while to a few will
cone inordinate wealth by a systematic
subordination of industrious men to the |
personal interests of adventures than
whom there are none so tyrannous and
INSCRIPTIONS.
The specious argument that one man
or board of men can manage an immense |
"trust" to better advantage than can
several and that it will save the expense
OF many is absurd on the face of it, be-
cause one man or set of men must have
limited capacity and when they 90 be-
yond it failure in any honest purposes is
sure to follow.
But a greater objection than all to
these immense combinations is the on
portunity they give for fraud. Some
may question the use of the word fraud
i'll this connection on the ground that if
single man or a few men knowing that
the combination was in an unfavorable
condition financially should suddenly
dispose of all their interest in it and
leave the losses to fall on innocent stock
holders it would be a perfectly legiti-
mate transaction. Without questioning
the code of morals of such it is enougb
to say that system which must of