Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-02-23


every other trust and, II the smeltc,
and packing trusts are permitted t
complete their organization, 1t Is but !.
question of time when all mines. min
ers and mine owners will belong to TIL
one, and all stock yards, cattle and eat,
tie ranches to the other.
l trust the time has not come whn.
u Colorado legislature will be passiv
In the presence Of pending dangers lik
these. No land can prosper or be FIRE
whose property Is congestcd, whose
earnings are not diffused among them
selves, and whose wage earners are d.
pendent upon the pleasure of nrtiiicia.
creations oflicered and controlled b.,
strangers familiar only with terms ui
profit and loss.
These huge aggregations have mutt
piled marveloussly during the pas,
twelve months-1S9S is the. year OF
glory, but II Is also the year of trusts
The people have been diverted by ihI
Domp and circumstance of war, dulin,
which period trusts, representing $DIJ,
100000 of capital, real and fictitious
have been organized. We can onl,
speculate what this means TO the ne;,l
future.
1t is urged that the pcrils which
many apprchcnd from these modern
systems are largely imaginary. ana
that they are but step in the process
of Industrial evolution. engineered and
directed by men of the highest stand
ing ana morality, whose good sense III i
high character are Il guarantee Of safe
" and prosperity. II Is, nevertheless.
true that the development of the mod,
ern trust has not verified such asslIr-
ances. On the contrary. 1t has created
or exposed n dual character in man.
The voice that intones the htany Is the
same that commands rise In the price
of grain when hunger is abroad. The
pen that signs Il check for the erection
Of n church or library is The same
that approves the vouchers OF the lob
byist. The hand that gives freely to the
| cause of temperance III New York r.
the hand that regulates the output of
the Kentucky distiileries. The iniu-
rncc that deplorcs the dccadenca OF
public morality is frequently the same
| which tcmpts the public servant TO his
downfall.
! aiH familiar with the assertion tlia:
.eg.SlntiGn designed for the protection
| If the Individual and of private prop
;riy against the nggrCssions of the trust
is conImCnistic and prevents the inves..
n'ent Of outside capita. within our bor-
lcrs. Laws which arr just and neces-
anry cannot b. wrong. They should E1t
be Withheld through the reproach OF
communism or the threat of alleged In,
| vCstoIs. That capital which will NOT
come to Us unless ii may gorge Itself In
defiance Cf constitutional safeguards
and elementary principles Of Justice
* too dangerous to b. permitted 10
comc ct all. That investor who de-
ards - IL" rri"" Of his Investment
the privilege of n:onopol.zin2 an indus.
try. floating an enormous fictitious cap
| itnlization, and crushing out all forms
Of competition. should find neither wei.
come nor abiding place within our
commonwealth. He is n foe 10 our In
stitutions more 10 bc dreaded than lhc
foe In arms abrGad CT ;hc commun,: !.
| discomfort At home.
But II is not true that legislation de-
signed TO protect independent effort
and competition grounded upon the
common law and the constitution. will
! discourage Investments. ON the con
| trary. 1t invites them. Capital goes
where II Is needed. aud where profit at
| tends its investment. These conditions
abound in Colorado. and they will at
| tract precisely In proportion that our
| laws guarantee protection from conlis-
cation either by individuals or by
trusts. The mining industry cannot do
otherwise than prosper with smcltcrs
compctin. for their output. Cattle
and sheep will multiply through the
stimulus of Il competitive market.
Cities will prosper when their utilities
levy tolls based upon Legitimate capi.
,alization. All must lanGuisli when
these elements disappear.
1t is contended that the state has no
power to stay the onward progress Of
the trust: that II Is cntrcnchcd behind
! that clause Of the federal constitution
which gives Congress exclusive control
of Interstate comercc: that the mach
iucry of state government ~ too weak
to grapplc with their far-rcacllin. In.
| flucnces. This may be true. but until
| the fact shall bc 10 declared by the Su.
prcmc Court Of tile United States our
duty to make The effort cannot be
cvaded. We cannot bc sup!nc and shcl.
ter ourselves from the wrath of our
constituents by casting the burden up
on the national government We can.
| not fortify our inaction by the lame
excuse that laws which We may enact
TO scotch the evil will be ovcrthrown
by the judiciary. Every platform of
our several political parties have for
years rung with the fcrvcnt Gcnuncia.
lions of these colossal aggrrgations,
and the hour has come when we must
prove our earncstncss by our actions
or accept the rcproach of hypocrisy.
Nor can We cvaac our duty by o!Icr.
| ing the excuse of weakness. | have on
another occasion reminded you u\
upon all matters OF national concern
we are n unit: upon issues Of minor i'm.
portancc there are none which should
serve TO cmbittcr or divide us. No
iruculcnt or powerful minority is pres
cnt TO distract Upon no shoulders but
our own can be placed the burdens of
our official shortcomings
I have not attempted TO cnumcrltc
the many consequences which How
from successful combinations. The
closure of many Of their acquired es-
tnblishmpute. tho loss of cmploymrnt