The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-27
SENATOR CHANDLER ON TRUSTS.

FROM Tune 10 time within the past year
Senator William E. Chandler, of New
Hampshire, has been engaged in the de-
iiverance Of his views through the public
press in opposition to the domination OF
the trusts in American industrial life.
His main contention has been that, with
vell-conceive1 antitrust legislation, state
and federal. the task of the subjugation
CT the trusts can be made a comparative
ly easy one. He has laid no particular
stress, 50 far as we have been able to OBJ
serve, on the pre-eminent need Of faith
full and fearless enforcement of the laws
which will tend to develop and foster the
existence of potential competition in the
several industries, and thus put an end
to the possibility of the creation of such
substantial conditions of monopoly as the
trusts are plainly aiming at. This latter
requirement seems to US, after all is said
that can De said of the evil effects of
trust domination, to be the first essen
tial to destroying the illegal and PERM
cious influence which the trusts are aim
ing at.
In Difference to a public sentiment
which assumed very aggressive proper
tions for a time many Of the states of
the union have felt called upon to enact
laws airued at.the destruction or regula-
ton OF the trusts. Some of this Iogisla-
ton is palpably demagogic in origin and
purpose. Some of it, too, is designed
along effective lines. But in no state in
which the operations Of sthe trusts have
represented a substantial menace to he
freedom of public trade has any subs.an-
tial thing been done to enforce such legfs-
lation.
In his latest published communication
Senator Chandler points out with much
clearness wherein he regards as false and
unfounded the contention Of the trusts
that the disappearance of the American
drummer will tend to the Iessening Of
the expense attending commercial trans
actions and will operate to lessen the cost
Of commercial commodities to the con-
sumner. With all Difference to so astute a
demonstration was hardly necessary to
bring conviction to the mind of any intel
Hgent person. The contention of the
trusts with reference to commercial trav-
elers is merely of the same misleading
and essentially untruthfuI nature as the
pretenses which they are advancing in
cry direction to induce our people to
| accept their control of the commercial
and industrial activities of this nation.
| Nothing that has yet been made known
| Of the operations of those who have been
instrumental in the formation of our
several trusts gives the slightest excuse
to any intelligent man for believing that
the reduction of cost to the consumer
enters, however remotely, into their cal
culations. The issuance and lavish dis
pei,sation Of stock in the concentrated
enterprises which attend the formation Of
each successive trust would itself, if no
other circumstance existed, establish
! clearly that the ultimate effect must be
the enhancement of pre-eXisting cost in
| the productions of the commodities in
volved. 1t IS indeed becoming positively
mischievous to maintain the lines of argu-
mentation adopted by Senator Chandler.
The general public have made up their
minds OIL this score long ago.
| If men like Senator Chandler, Of high
| standing and influence in the Republican
party, and active in our national con-
Germs, would give their energies in public
station to the creation of the necessary
public sentiment and would supplement
their efforts by insisting on such nation
| al legislation as is now universally re-
| garded as necessary to the disruption of
the trust conspiracy it would not be long
until tangible gain had been made in the
direction Of the practical work that still
remains to be done If the onward move
ment of the trust conspiracy Is to be
| stayed.