The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-04-09

/ many OF our readers. that trace COMB
nation. have come in response to the de-
/ rnands OF the ago. that they are support
/ ed by the people and that they are or
I benefit 20 the people. are gradually be-
! ing adopted by thinking people.
Mr.. +. 7. Thurber. president Of the
United States Export Association. tes-
/ tilted the other day before the Industrial
Commission in Washington that he had
at one time been much prejudiced against
trusts. believing that they were organ
tied to Cypress the people with high
prices but that after studying the ques-
| ton. and after observing the operation OF
| trusts he had come 10 the conclusion That
they were "a natural economic develop
ment. consequent upon the development Of
great forces which now control the world
steam. electricity and machinery
! Then going into the history Of trusts he
said that they began with the consoh-
/ dalton of railroads into trunk lines, that
| in the beginning the fear had been that
| these combinations would result in eX-
orbitant rates for transportation. but
| that such had not proven to be fact.
! lie quoted figures 20 show that, on the
contrary. there had been reduction in
] rates since the organization had been
effected. lie also mentioned an Dlustra-
ton which VIC have frequently used in
| tho same connection. that the STANDARD
| oil Company. which has been so much
I abused. had brought the price Of oil down
! from 2js cents per gallon in 1871 TO So
cents per gallon in 1898. lie declared that
a similar condition was shown as the
result of the formation of the sugar
| trust Mr.. Thurber's conclusion. there
| fore. Is that while in some instances
! hardships have been worked. it is equal
ly certain that the total results have
been beneficial to the public at large
| and TO the interest Of the laboring class
! especially who constitute the majority.
The fair-minded man cares not a cent
for anything but the truth, and the
truth is what We are after. Who. we
ask in all oandor, has been hurt by the
trusts? The middle man has lost his
| occupation, but we insist that the Farm
ers' Alliance inaugurated the movement
against him. In some isolated cases men
have been thrown out of employment
by these consultations. but take the
/ great mass of working people to-day
they are getting, through the trusts
better goods for the same money than
ever before in the history OF the world
The Portsmouth Star is a newspaper
that searches for the truth. and when ii
has found the same proclaims it. The
Star in a thoughtful article on this SUBJ
I ject says that it cannot be denied that
the wage-earner gets to-day far more
( for his money than he did in the days
Of numerous small manufacturers and
/ innumerable middle men, that the APP
| polntments in the home of the poor man
to-day are in quality and quantity the
equal of those in the rich mans home
fifty years ago. That is the literal truth
and everybody knows it.
In the same connection one Of our anti
trusts contemporaries says that the Con-
tinental Tobacco Company, having Sc
cured control Of the plug tobacco in
terests Of the country, now proposes to
advance the price of tobacco, and adds
this remarkable comment:
1t may be expected TO advance the
J price gradually to d point Where compe-
! titiOn cannot prosper just so soon, how
! ever as prices begin 10 savor of extor-
! ton competition will arise and the COM
| binations power and profits Will Wdhe.
| But the shreWd minds at the helm in the
| management of the Contnentais busi-
ness may be counted upon not to trespass
| upon public patience beyond endurance.
We say remarkable because of the
source. This is indeed strange reasoning
for one who argues that trusts are or
| ganized TO extortion upon the public.
Nobody contends that trusts are in any
sense philanthropic institutions. They
| are in business to make money, and II
! they could make more money by charg-
ing exorbitant prices. We have no doubt
that they would DO so. But it has been
ascertained and demonstrated beyond
| peradventure that The only hope of ex-
| istence that the trusts have, and the
only way in which they can make money
is by selling the best possible article at
| the lowest pOSSJD z pliNS. - - ~ e4Ao'i
interet to make their goods popular and
to prevent competition. The very mo-
ment that they put prices up TO point
where the people begin TO grumble and
where the margin of profit is great, that
moment they tempt some concern in the
organization TO drop out, or they tempt
outsiders to enter the field as competi-
| tors Of the trust. This is the simple
logic of it all and is plain enough for
! any fair minded man 10 see.
But some Will say why is The Times
| so persistent IN defending trusts?" We
answer as we have answered before that
| we are not defending trusts per Sc, but
| the truth. We are here to declare the
| truth. to correct error. and TO expose the
| clap trap arguments OF the demagogue.
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NEEDLESS ALARM.
II IL