The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-09-15

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be placed upon an honest. popular and
reasonable foundation. and no one could
complain or Justly oppose It.
can see no reason why such an eH>
! pertinent might not be made BY EN-.
ployers. nor can see why II would not
succeed. To do this would bring about
harmony to a large degree between
labor and capital and would measure
bly,, though not entirely, take the fangs
out Of the trust and the combine. This
Is one OF the ways, and It seems to me
TO be the logical way, to settle this ever
existing controversy and settle II right,
because It would then be Just, and I
may say enlightened corporation, and
you know that cooperation Is the fun
damental principle OF a trust.
It Is, In short, the very heart OF 1t.
The trouble, however. With the most
Of the trusts, a. they are conducted. Is
that the Corporation" Is all one-Aided
all in favor Of the holders-whlle
the skilled iaborers and the consumers
are wholly ignored. This seems to be
the fundamental principle. the founda-
tions 80 to speak, on which the whole
trust movement rests. Why, then, can
not It's scope be Ridened so as to take
in or embrace all the classes whose In
terestB are involved? So long as the
thus conducted, that long will It be an
tagonlzed by the masses, and It, there
fore, cannot be enduring. nor can II
result as a permanent profitable IN
VeStment for the stockholders, or can
Il in any way benefit the mechanics or
the people in general.
Progress ofthe Age.
Mr.. President, do not wish to be un-
derstood as opposing modern methods
OF progress, believe in conserving in
every possible manner the waste Of time
and energy Of the great mass OF our
people. The day Of wooden plOws and
stage coaches and horseback mails have
gone by forever. To keep abreast OF the
times In which we live We must use
all modern discoveries and appliances.
We must Of necessity keep in the
push" or otherwise perish. All wise
people win strive to reduce every pos
sibIe waste OF energy. The blacksmith
shop and the wooden pillow were good
enough In their day. They answered
the purpose then, but they are out Of
date now. Old methods have been stead
lily discarded and economical appli-
ances operated by steam and electricity
have been substituted therefore. The
same Is true In almost every business
aVocation peculiar to our people. The
trust seems, on It's face, to be q step
forward in the ever-shifting drama OF
growth and progress. II claims as Its
main purpose to save waste In produc-
tlon and distribution.
Every student in political economy
Will admit, in measure, the force OF
this particular claim. because the great
est enemy to human progress is waste.
While II may be true that a number OF
factories in a particular industry, which
have been competing with one another
In a particular line OF production, agree
to unite for a common purpose, con-
senting to not fight one another, and
purposing to furnish a particular arti-
Gle Of manufacture to the consumer at
a specific price, Of itself Is not neces-
sarily wrong. Indeed, It appears to be
right on Its face; but It may be wrong,
forever wrong, and usually is wrong,
as see II. for two particular reasons.
First-Thls combine can and will III
they are looking out for their own In
terestS alone) increase the price OF their
product to the consumer, and at the
same time reduce the wages OF their
employees: and. second, every small
manufacturer engaged In that pRrtlc-
ular Industry will either have to guilt
business or Join 1.-THE combine" But
the combine will doubtless say in reply
that the small manufacturer can him
self 1oIn the trust or keep on Us he Is
then doing, II he likes. How can he
continue his business successfully,
ask, II all Of his competitors In the same
line OF production have combined
him? They can, and will, for the pur-
pose of freezing him out" cut prices
until he has to "squeal and throw NJ
the sponge" and then the combine has
It's own way and can fix Its own prices,
and It usually does so, and all OF you
who hear me know II and know IT Well.
In cases OF this sort the smaller dealer
succumbs and the Combine" fi&es Its
own prices and the people are compelled
to submit.
Wis Legislation.
Nevertheless 1 confess am one Of
the people OF this country who Is not
hysterical over this trust controversy,
/ am Inclined to the opinion that 1t can
and will be regulated by wise and prop
er legislation, and by public sentiment
which in the end always settles matters
OF this sort. All politlca! economists
agree that the prevention Of waste (un-
necessary wnste) by all nations Is the
secret OF their growth and success. This
proposition Is unquestionnbly true, ana
/ VIII therefore not undertake to CON-
trovert It.
A wise man will save every cent, ev-
cry dime, every lump Of coal, every par
ticle Of manure, everything that can DC
utilized to better his conditions and help
him on in life. But Il seems to me that
no Intelligent man will favor any mea-
sure which will place himself at the
mercy OF few OF his fellow citizens,
who will have It In their power to say
what he shall do or what he shall pny
for that which necessity requires him
to purchase.
am aware Of the fact. Mr.. President,
that the hackers OF trusts set up three
distinct claims or arguments in their
defense, viz, first, that they pay the
highest rates OF wages to their employ
es; second, that they furnish the best
article to the consumer. and. third that
they furnish them loves or cheaper thah
they can otherwise be produced. While
/ admit that there Is something IN THESE
clnlmR, yet they are true only IN a re-
strIcted sense. The first OF these claims
is, 1 think, absolutely true. Trusts pay
big wnEeB because they employ none
but hIgh-grade men and women, which
they can afford to do.
The second proposition Is perhaps
true In most cases, but by no means In
all. The third claim Is only true In
few instances. II had the time to-day
could definitely mention them to this
Federation. But in the generality OF
cases prices to consumers increase IN
stead Of diminish where trusts are en-
forced. Therefore the few, and not the
many IRE direct benefciaries OF these
trust combines. Consequently. my coun-
trymen. when one pauses and considers
carefully all the facts involved; when
he thOughtfully weighs both sides OF
the issue before him; when he seriously
citizen to do. when he sees the vast
multitude Of his fellow countrymen'who