The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-10-17

IL seems almost inexplainable that some
one did not answer: "Mr. Bourke Cock
ran Is hurt by the trusts" Mr.. Cochran
may be large stockholder in some par
ticular trust, and the enormous profits
which he receives from his Investment
may overbalance all the losses inflicted
on him by other "trusts."It is not neces-
sary that he should be q user directly or
product of trust" 1t Is only neces-
sary that he should be a ser, directly or
indirectly, of the product of the trust"
Let us inquire whether he Is an indirect
user of the product of one of the great
trusts" We will take structural steel,
manufactured by the $200,000,000 capi-
talized "Steel Trust" Structural steel
is used in building bridges, school houses
and buildings used by a municipality.
In New York City, the home of Mr..
Cochran, immense quantities of IL are
used each year. The "Steel Trust" con-
trolls the market for structural steel.
Since the organization of the "Steel
Trust" the price of structural steel has
advanced So per cent. So a ton of struc-
tural steel, which six months ago sold
for $40, now, under the squeeze of the
"Steel Trust" cost s1S.S5. The taxpay-
ers of New York are compelled to pay
the advance of $SS5 on every ton of
structural steel used by the city of New
York in erecting public buildings and
bridges in which 1t is used. If Bourke
Cochran is taxpayer he is injured by
the "Steel Trust"
Let us drop Mr.. Cochran and take q
farmer and inquire how the Steel
Trust" affects him. 1t Injuries him in q
score Of ways. Every implement whicA
he uses, into which the construction OF
steel nters, such as thrashrs, plows, har-
rows, drills, mowers, reapers, forks,
shovels, hoes, rakes, axes, and, indeed,
almost every implement in us on the
farm make him pay tribute to the
"Steel Trust" The value of the steel
used in all these necessary implements
has increased in its raw state S5 per
cent. This application Of the workings
of the "Steel Trust" is direct robbery
on the farmer. In every county there
| is what is called the bridge tax, tax
imposed for the purpose of erecting
bridges over streams. These are built
of structural steel, which costs the
county in which they are erected So per
cent. more than 1t did twelve months
ago. No man in the rural communities
is more injuriously affected by the
| oItel tIldIl 10 lIlt LINZ
almost every tax which is imposed, the
agriculturist is the most seriously in
! jured. AS a rule they are not rich.
Their personally consists of their stock,
which cannot be hidden from the asses
sor's eyes. Their acres and the i'm
lprovements thereon are immovable
Nothing escapes taxation. It is with
| in truth to say that the farmer pays
more to the "Steel Trust" from the in
creased cost on his farm machinery and
utensils than he pays by direct tax to
the state. The "Steel Trust" robs the
farmer.
| There is another class of men most
seriously injured. 1t is the small manu-
facturer, who is a denizen of a village
or moderate sized city. There are so
cities in Ohio, the prosperity of which
rests on manufacturing pursuits.
These plants are too small to have at
tracted the attention of the trust" or
ganizers. The time will come, however,
when attention will be given to each and
all of them. 1t will not be for the pur-
pose of increasing their prosperity, but
to utterly destroy them. The trust"
brooks no competition. 1t is necessary
| for the accomplishment of its purposes
the possession of the markets-to
crush out the small enterprises. This
will be done. The concerns will not be
purchased by the big cormorant. 1t
will throw it's tentacles around the lit
tie thing and crush 1t. With the de-
struction of these small plants the pros
perity of the communities in which they
are located will dissipate as mist. The
trust" will kill the rural cities. They
cannot live when the trusts" shadow
is thrown upon them. Scores of men
and women in every small city, and in
those which are more populous, hund-
reds will be thrown out of employment.
Their means of livelihood will be de-
stroyed and many Of them will become
,mendicants. This view of the effects
which follow the operation of the
trust" Is exemplified by the closing up
of the "tin milf in the town Of Cam
bridge, Guernsey county, this state, this
month. The Tin Plate Trust" is con-
,centrating the manufacture of tin In
large plants. The Cadiz plant is to be
destroyed. The heads of more than one
hundred families are discharged, with
the blasts Of approaching winter flush
ing their faces. In that little city today
there are more sorrowing hearts than II
has known in all it's history. What
Icares the trust" for this condition
Nothing. 1t Is soulless. Let us look al
another class which suffers intensely
1t is known as the Commercial Trav-
elers.". The trust" concentrates its
business and when it is concentrated II
is discovered that too many men have
been employed. The trust" can man.
age the business, which was conducted
by the respective individuals, firms and
corporations which the trust" swallow.
ed in it's organization, with forty pei
cent. less men than were used. Out o.
every hundred men employed the
trust" only needs sixty. If there wer,
100000 men employed in all capacities
: there are 10000 600 are dis
charged. Two-thirds of the men whC
were busy selling the products of tn,
trust" are not needed and they ar,
sent adrift. Many of them are old, o.
: growing old. They have lived frugally
but with educating their children-mak
} ling liberal contributions to beneyolen