The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-15
7 MEANS SLAVERY
Continued from First Page.

Continued from First Page.
let us view it as patriots. I believe that
a conference of this kind should not at
tempt to Judge a question so important
to our national welfare as this by the
selfish standard of commercial greed. I
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-
eratlons more important to us as ma
ton.
I'm 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
Nevertheless none Of us can dispute the
fact that our society is divided into
classes. and well defined ones, too. They
are not distinguished by differences of
social standing. That is. we have no arts
tocratic titles, no nobility. The distinc-
ton with us is based upon wealth. The
Our social and political leaders and
speakers deny this. In doing so, how
! ever. they ignore actual conditions. They
discuss what ought to be under our form
Of government-not what IS.
STRENGTH OF REPUBLIC.
''The strength of our republic has al
| ways been in what is called our middle
class. This is made UP of manufac turers.
jobbers. middlemen retail and wholesale
merchants. commercial travellers and
tie short of calamity TO encourage any
industrial development that would affect
unfavorably this important class of our
citizens. Close to them. as a strong ele-
! ment of our people. are the skilled me-
chanics and artisans. They are the sinew
and strength of the nation. While the
business of the country has been conduct
ed by persons and firms, the skilled en-
DlOye has held close and sympathetic re-
lations with his employer. He has been
something more than a mere machine.
q hoC fnIt tha inn Inc md hi tin11
which goes with equality of opportunity.
These have contributed to make him a
good citizen. Take away that stimulus
and ambition. and we lower the standard
of our citizenship. Without good citizen
ship our national life is in danger.
ut seems to me, therefore, that the
vital consideration connected with this
problem of the trust is in 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 individual firm
to do business on small scale. 1t tends
to concentrate the ownership and man
into the hands of a very few. No one de-
MES this. This being so. it follows that
the independent, individual business
man must enter the employment of the
trust self-preservation compels it.
Duty to his family forces him to it. He
becomes an employe instead of an en-
ployer. His trusted foremen and his en-
ployes must follow him.
They have been in close ard daily as
ISOLATION with him. The new order of
things compels them to separate. They
dustrlal army, with no hopes and no as
pirations--a daily task to perform and no
personal interest and perhaps TO pride in
the success of their work Their personal
identity is lost. They become eggs and
little wheels in a great complicated ma
chine There is no real advance for them.
They may, perhaps, become larger EGGS
or larger wheels. but they can never look
forward to a life Of business freedom. 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 amb'-
ton of the army of those employed by
the trusts AS result OF the C: useless
and heartless grind of the trusts in the
ambition, and perhaps inventive genius
will be deadened and killed. The mi Idle
class CT which I speak will lose. thar
being deprived Of that quality Of oppor
tunity which has attracted to this ccu2-
try the millions of people of other ma
lions who have helped make American
citizenship and American institutions tn
best and greatest in the world.
INDUSTRIAL SLAVERY
1.-THE trust is, therefore the forerunner,
or, rather the creator of Industrial
slavery ,5la vel The master mast is the trust
duty to serve the soulless and
nameless being called the retailer. To
the latter the dividend is mere important
than the happiness or the prosperity of
any one. The slave is the former mer-.
chant and business man and the parti-
san and mechanic, who once cherished
the hope that they might sometime reach
the happy position Of independent owner
ship of a business.
Commercial feudaiism is the logical
outcome of the trust The trust man
flNNf dol nov
haps, be harsh characteriZations, but who
can deny their truth? Honesty to our
selves and loyalty to our country and it's
recognize the situation. We cannot be
true to our republic by ignoring these
things. We cannot be honest to the peo
pie either at this. conference or In our
legislative assemblies 10y combining our de-
alterations TO the commercial advantages
and disadvantages of the trust 1t is
better to be forever poor. but Independent
and and happy as individuals. than to
lay the foundations for industrial tyr
amy and slavery. Personal liberty IS
rather to be chosen than great riches.
Equality Of opportunity to all men is
better than the control OF the world
trade.
1.-The effect of the trust upon our ma
sudden perhaps. 1t will rather be a 81
lent and gradual change. 1t may not be
observed, at once, but it's influence will
nevertheless be felt. The warning with
downfall of other nations furnishes US,
may not be needed now. If not, we may
pay the usual penalty of slavery to com
mercial avarice and greed. Increase of
the wealth of the country is greatly to
be desired. but if the people are to be
degraded to Industrial slavery, wealth,
under such conditions, is curse. If our
Independent and intelligent business men
and artisans are to be crowded out of
existence as a class by the trust there
is no remedy too drastic for the trust.
Some may think it too early to sound a
note of warning of this kind but the time
to check an evil tendency is when it first
shows itself
1--WE have given the private corporation
too much rope Some say give it more
rope and it will hang itself. In o her
words they claim that the trust prob
lem if left alone, will work out its own
solution. [ do not believe in such a pol
icy. There is too much at stake. The
most important element of our citizen
ship is in the balance. We cannot afford
to sap the strength of our democracy in
order to forward an experiment. favor
complete and prompt humiliation of the
'trust'-with due regard for property
rights, of course. L care more for the
independence and manliness of the Amer
lean citizen than for all the gold or sill