The daily sentinel., 1899-01-16
TRUST SYSTEM EVILS.
Individual Energy and Enter
prise StiAed.
sHEAPEss COST OF PRODUCTION.

IL 4oe ~ xoylThey Arc the 8e0ult o4
Csagsseisa q Idle Measy = HsnsAy Il
AaRs4alHan and Nseo Mo.sy.
The whole system Of trusts which hes
fastaned itself on the public 10 the di-
rest outgrowth Of the contraction caused
By the gold standard, the contraction
Of money, the contraction Of prices, val
uss and business, says the Atlanta Con-
statution. How many trusts were to be
found In the country 25 years agof
There was plenty Of money in circula-
hon. It was what the gold men call
"unsound" currency. It was depreciat-
ID - compared with gold, but there
was plenty Of IL, and the people had not
the smallest need for gold. The "un-
sound" currency performed all the funo-
lions Of the soundest money. It held
out the strongest and most substantial
invitations to individual energy and en-
terprise, 30 that those who have sinoe
gone into the profitable business Of
forming trusts had no field for the dis
play Of their genius.
But since the demonetisation Of sill
vsr. and especially since Cleveland's
violation Of the law in declaring the
V0AA80sAOAo VI 9Ako 8OV0xAA0Cnb R0y&
In gold, the contraction in business and
In all forms Of industrial enterprise has
driven individuals and men with small
capital into bankruptcy, and has opened
for the trusts = wide and an ever widen
ing field.
There il no possible way to dispose
Of the trusts 70 long ~ business, prices,
values and currency are tied to the gold
standard. Under the operations of our
present currency system individual en-
srgy and enterprise have no field what
ever. Everything IL pushed to tho wall
except combinations Of capital.
The attacks Of many of the newspa-
pers Of the country-especially the New
York World-are wholly beside the
mark. They are ~ futile ~ they are
furious. In tho nature Of things there
= no cure for the trust evils until No
remedy the cause that breeds them. So
long as we have the single gold stand
ard, 10 long must all business, prices and
values continue to contract And by the
time this contraction reaches the level
10 which it Is tending the trusts and
monopolies will have charge Of every
enterprise and scheme which. under an
adequate currency system, was formerly
carried ont BY individual energy.
The trust system cheapens the cost Of
production, but 1t does not cheaper the
prices the public have to pay. The
oheapenins process that has been going
On 10 duo entirely to the increasing val
ne Of gold ~ compared with all other
commodities and all other species Of
property. Trusts are not above human
nature, and they have taken and are
taking advantage Of their power to
squeeze the public. They are an evil,
and they constitute one Of the greatest
dangers the people are called upon to
face. but they are the inevitable result
Of the gold. standard, and they cannot
be controlled until the great trust Of
trusts-the international gold syndicate
lis rendered powerless for evil. Tho
remedy il in bimetallism and the in
crease Of our money supply.
The newspaper that upholds tho gold
standard while fighting trusts il simply
throwing sand in the eyes Of the people.
The way to upset the trusts is to give
the people moro money to do business
On and money Of . kind that does not
absorb all values, but leaves fair pro-
portion In the possession Of the pro-
duoers. Tho way to restore competition
In business, in spite Of the trusts, 10 to
restore prosperity. This can be done by
placing our currency system on the
basis Of bimetallism, which means
wholesome addition Of hard money to the
volume Of oirculation; which means
higher prices, higher wages, expanding
business and = rest<~ation Of all forms
Of industrial development.
Trusts are the result Of hard times,
and hard times are the result Of scar.
city Of money, or, what IL worse, the
congestion Of idle money in quarters
where it il utterly beyond the means Of
the people to command their due share
Of it - the result Of their labor. When
there is plenty Of money In circulation,
modest investments in business enter
prises havs q chance against the trusts
and combinations, for when . plentiful
supply Of capital il available trust will
antagonize trust and the whole system
fall utterly to pieces.
Under the present system Of currency
contraction, low wages and hard times
small and independent business enter
prises have no chance against the ts1d-
ency to consolidation among others en-
gagged in the same line Of business
Business depression ia the lever by
which the small enterprises are crushed
out by the large ones. which are able to
l Il