Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-02-23
AGAINST THE TRUSTS.
GOV. THOMAS SENDS A MES
SAGE.
Warns tho Legislature of tho Proposed
Encronchnsnis of Comb ned Corpora
tioan and Urges the Passage of Re
strlctlve LeSislstion. 'H.. .HH.

Denver, Feb. Ex-Governor Thomas
yesterday sent the following message
to the Legislatures:
TO the Senate and House of Represen-
tativeS:
When / assumed the office of gov
GrnOr l deemed 1t my duty to invite
your attention to some subjects of
needed legislation, among which was
the rapid concentration Of leading in
dustries into general systems, pOpu-
larry known as trusts" Concerning
this subject. then declared that 1.-The
combinations known us trusts have
naturally hourished and expanded I'M
der the friendly influences of. the pres
cnt administration. In the process of
absorption they have overlooked moth
| ing. The few pursuits which yet re-
| main outside the charmed circle are
present subjects of inves .igation. They
include some industries peculiar to the
West. and some which are in cOmpeti-
| tiOn with trusts already established
| The tremendous economic aud political
influence of these modern aggreGations
| needs no discussion. Whether the evil
can be cradicatcd by peaceful meth
DDS is problcmatical. THAT is can b?
mitigated is highly probable.
and dissolution shall follow the direcs
or indirect merging of any home cor
poration into general combination Of
kindred interests in other states. by
whatever name such combination IhaI
lie known, Is urgently demanded. Let
us prevent. ms far rs we can. the
spread of this cOnta.iOn within onr
| borders. and resist by all methods
| known to the law the extension of the
so-cnlled trust system to lie pursuits
| which have thus far so greatly promo
| ted our prosperity and the develop
ment of our resources. ScnnrGtl0n of
| church and state IL nm admitted essen
tInl TO constitutional government. Ev-
| cry reason upon which TINT doctrine
| Is founded demands u like divorce h.
| tween the trusts and The state. If the
remedy suggested he severe 1t musi
| be remembered that the disease is lie =
peratc. Many of our sister common.
wealths are helpless in the presence OF
creatures they have brought into b.
| Ing but can no longer control. Let US
profit by their mournful example iF
we would avoid ihair fate.
Under ordinary ci-curst nccs u sec
| oud reference 10 the same topic might
I've Justly regarded ms grntuitous. Con
! ditioDs have. however. arisen sine. m,
| Induction into Office, then mp, aren't but
not then clearly perceived, which i'm
pei me to again address you. and TO
recommend the enactment of somt on
OF the bills heretofore Introduced and
intended to cffCctuatc my former sug-
gestiOn. Thcs. conditions are. in bri,f,
the projected concentration of som .
important home pursuits into the
hands OF eastern combinations, ana
which will become effective NJ an car.
iy day II the plans now formulated do
not mlscarry.
In the city OF Denver are two illum
mating companies. Both are consolidn
tons. over-bOnded and Gver.capital.
ized: and both earning large profits up
on their actual and watcrcd capital.
| II we are TO credit well founded state
| ments these companies are about Ia
| merge into third concern, controlled
! and otiicergd two thousand milo $
away. with an alleged stock and hon !
issue nearly 100 per cent. greater than
that Of the combined corporations. AMI
upon which large profits are confident.
ly guaranteed.
The various smelling plants OF thc
statc-with two eNcep,ions-coniem.
plate absorption by some enormously
capitalized company which will also
acquire similar plants wherever they
may exist throughout the Union. thus
| converting them into one establish,
mcnt. or the exceptions. one uses n
| process of It's own and has never man.
ifcsicd any desire for combination OF
the other. II may he said upon general
principles of human conduct that II
| will join the combination whenever thu
| temptation to do SO becomes sufficient.
| ly attractive.
The great packing houses of the Mid
die West-controlling the meat indus.
! try OF the globc-are mt present per
| fecting the details of n trust which. 10
| become effective from the standpoint
of its promoters. must take In the
yards and establishments of other
states. Its so-called capital will. OF
course. be vastly In excess of the cam.
bincd stock and bonds OF all existing
| plants.
The reasons given for the con sclIda.
ton of these Interests have become
rite from continued repetition. Thr
nction is demanded because II syst
ina;izcs the Industry. less rs cost o.
production and reduces Erine 10 cen
suncrs. The public welfare Is the 0s
| tcnsible motive that prompts the sIcGi-
iicc-it must be something cl'c that
prompts the capitalization.
1t may be true that uniiication of an
industry results in decrease of cost to
| the consumer of Its products. but the
fact is not apparent in our actual cN.
| pcrioncc. 1t Is true that decrease In
cost Of production follows consoliln-
tiOn, but this is because the trust lie
| comes the sole customer OF It's raw ma
tcrinl, and fixes the prices accordingly
II is also largely true because 1t be
comes the sole employer of the class
| of labor which converts the raw ma
iorial into the finished product, and
therefore. determines their numb r
and. to large extent. their wage
rate. On the other hand. ii limits sup.
| ply TO demand, arttIicinlly promotes
| liuh prirps and gathers its miIlinns