Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1899-12-22

tions become amenable to the laws, winch, Dy
the way, were placed on the statute books by
Republican legislation. John Sherman was the
first man to introduce laws on this subject. 1t
was his antitrust law that created so much op-
position f1om all classes of business men, and
it was he who was so roundly berated for his
trouble. His law has brought about many de-
SIZED changes in the business world. have no
objection to legislation such as he was respons.
ible for.
There is now normal condition of prosper
ity There is no reason why we should not
have prosperity tor the next ten years or more.
This prosperity was brought about by the Re-
publican administration. This Administration
has been threatened. If Ohio had gone Dem
ocratic, then confidence would have been shak-
en-, and once shaken, it would be hard to re-
store. Capital is sensitive. 1t does not op-
crate when there is doubt in the air. 1t re-
mains under cover. Without capital business
ceases and panics begin.
"The trust question is an old one" said M.
NJ Garland, formerly president of the Anal
camated Association of Iron and Steel workers,
in his testimony before the Trust Conference in
Chicago. "Its influence has been used as one
of the extorting features tor organizing labor
among from and steel workers for more than
quarter OF century. Thus far in this new day
OF trusts the workmen in the rolling mills have
found it to their advantage to treat with trusts
and organizations. Annual wage scale agree
ments were presented by our representatives,
and conferences arranged promptly. An ad-
vance in wages from ten to twenty-five per cent
in different departments was secured. That in
this country trust should maintain an unnat-
ural or inordinate price for material or product
is remote contingency, for not alone will 9th
er capital interested in the consumption of the
product combine on as large a scale and become
the trusts competitor, but the facts remain that
there is not an article produced in these modern
times but there are or can be adapted several
substitutes for it. The action of the trusts
within themselves will soon decide whether
they are to be tolerated as nseful members of
the national household, or whether the show of
hands raised against them will relegate them to
obliqion.''
In reality there are no trusts. There are
combinations of capital. These are introduced
into political campaigns by Democrats as
great bugagoo with whom they endeavor to
frighten the people. At present these are in
an experimental stage. Should they prove to
be dangerous to the welfare of the people should
they raise the price of commodities without
warrant, should they stiae competition, no one
will be more ready and willing to condemn
them than myself.
So long as the trusts have not proved a men,
ace to business nor to the laboriug interests of
the country, so long as all that is said about
them is merely talk, SO long as they have not
proved curse to the country, believe they
should be let alone. They should be allowed
to exist until it is determined whether or not
they are curse and whether or not they will
prove blessing to the country at large.
have watched for years the progress made
by labor organizations and have observed
what splendid results some of them give. 1t is
as necessary to have organized labor as it is to
have organized capital. That it is Necessary
to have organized capital is evident. 1t is ut
terly impossible for a corporation to land its
product on the shores of another land, perhaps
&c, 900 miles away, place it in storehouses and
await the demands Of the consumer cefore it is
sold unless there is tremendous capital back of
the corporation. The combinations of capital,
as have said before, are no new thing in for
eign countries. That is why they have build
ed such splendid corporations and have ac-
complished such wonderful work in foreign
lands. Let us wait and see how these expert
ments wore If they are bad they will fall TO