The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-03-29
RoBBlrG THE PEOPLE.
Trusts and Counter Trusts.
TIL Minneapolis Journal said the othe

Trusts and Counter Trusts.
Tn Minneapolis Journal said the other
day:
Forced to sell trust goods and more or
less the tools of trusts, the wholesale
grocers Of Minneapolis and ST. Paul may
themselves form trust.
A we'll known Minneapolis grocer has
put his wits to work on the problem He
has made a number of journeys eastward
in getting his bearings. He has been es-
pecially interested in the associations of
Indiana and Michigan wholesalers which
have been formed at Chicago. This gen.
tlenan said to The Journal representative
this morning:
''The wholesale grocers must combine.
The trusts have surrounded us; every
thing we deal in, with very few excep-
tons, is trust made and trust sold Al
ready the trusts are scheming to eliminate
us from distribution and do their bust
ness directly with the retailer. Our only
hope is to combine-that is to say, form
trust ourselves. If we don't there won't
be a wholesale grocery house III Min
neapolis or ST. Paul in ten gears. 1t will
throw hundreds of men our of employ
ment, but in the great rush for wealth
led by the trusts it is every man for him.
self and the devel take the hindmost Per-
sonally am opposed to the trust idea;
it is wrong; it is even criminal. But
what can an individual do? He must
either get onto the trust band wagon and
be swept along with it to aff1uence, or
else go broke.
ALREADY the trusts are so insolent that
<Ioxv % - L..
what prices we shall sell their goods They
fix our profits. So, in sense, we are now
nothing but agents of the trusts. If we
out of our agencies. The trusts are TAX
ing advantage of our knowledge and ex-
perience at present. When they know all
we know about our own trade, they will
turn us out. We can only prolong our
existence by uniting and doing business
with them as unit.
The association, or must, project, if
you wish to call it so, is going to be
pushed. / look to see it succeed / hope
it will. If all the wholesale grocers of
Minneapolis and St. Paul were to unite
in their dealings with the trusts we would
represent such a consuming capacity that
they would have to do business with us
on fair terms. Every wholesaler will tell
you that the constant formation of trusts
is the cause OF half his woes.
But we must get in line and make all
the money we can in the next few years,
for the awful initiation that characterizes
all trusts is bound to result in the great
est financial crash in history, to say moth
ing OF the wreck that will result when the
people become aroused to the power. ex-
tent and INSCRIPTIONS methods of the
trusts"
These squabbles simply mean an ad-
justment Of the division of the spoils of
the people. 'But we must get into line
says this party, "and make all the money
we can in the next few years" Who
will they make it off? The people!
OF course; and the fool people quietly
endure it all. But the end draws nigh
Jas. J. Hill said the other day to a
Fargo meeting:
The speaker thought there might be
another financial crisis When it comes
it will be from the over-capitalization of
enterprises-from the failure of the trusts
and will be the greatest in the history
Vi Tic WOIlu Tie wanted TO make
shareholders responsible for the stock
sold after three years That would be a
preventative. The attorney general was
roasted for refusal to head off the trusts.
In closing, he thought the future prosper
ity of this country depended entirely on
opening up new markets. This could be
done by refusing to appropriate money
for few postoffices He asked the audi
ence to give him credit for honesty in
his purposes and utterances. He was glad
to see SO many experiment station men
here, so many intelligent farmers, so in
terested in their work.
Every one feels that these unnatural
conditions must end in a widespread
smash-up.
When it comes the Peoples party will
take possession OF the country and re-
form the abuses of mankind.
/ Organize! Educate! Educated Organ
izeI n