Iron County register., 1899-04-13
Trusts.

The Chicago Democrat is a paper we
delight to read. Its aims are in the
right direction. 1t advises the Demo-
cratic party to make relentless war on
trusts. This is as it should be. But
in the issue of that paper OF March 81
we find the following paragraphs:
1t might be of little avail to give
! this country good monetary system
if the trusts we're left in control of the
industries and commerce of the country
that our money is designed to develop
and support.
The conditions suggested in the FORE
going paragraph are impossible. They
cannot exist. A good monetary sys-
tenn and the control of our industries
and commerce by the trusts are incom-
patible. Competition is the only sue
cessful war that can be made upon
trusts. There is no line of demarka-
tion which can be maintained by law
between legitimate cooperation and
wicked and disastrous trusts. Make
competition free and seventy-fve mill
lion people will easily take care of the
trusts. A good monetary system would
liberate the American people and ena-
BILE them to form other combinations
and destroy the unrighteous trusts
that, if not checked, will enslave the
great mass of the people.
A shrinking volume of money forces
down prices. While general prices
are falling it is almost impossible for
men without capital to accumulate
wealth. When labor and energy are
directed to the creation of property,
and prices remain stable, the great
mass of wealth producers must pros
per. But if the property produced by
the labor of the masses Is constantly
deprecated SO that new enterprises
cannot be started without great accu-
mutations of money, those who possess
such wealth have a complete monopoly.
Under falling prices the masses of the
people must lose. These great aggre-
cations of property cannot be resisted
unless there is an adequate supply OF
money. so that general prices GO up
and each individual who is honest and
industrious will have chance to ac-
cumulate wealth. Then these trusts,
which are extravagantly managed as
rule, will perish before the enter
prise of the American people like dew
before the morning sun.
We repeat again, that good none
:ary system Is the remedy for trusts.
A bad monetary system has produced
the enormous trusts which are crush
ing the masses. 1t is strange that
everybody does not understand that
contraction to the gold standard has
created these enormous trusts, and
that ii the gold Standard can be main
tanned the trusts cannot be destroyed.
Read the history of any decaying
country of which history is written
and it will be seen that a contracting
volume of money in all casses concen-
trated the wealth of the country in the
hands of the few, made serfs of the
masses, and finally destroyed the rich
and the poor in universal decay.
When the energies of the American
people are paralyzed and they have
ceased their endeavors to acquire
wealth for themselves, all hope for
progress and continued prosperity win
be dead. While the gold standard is
maintained to breed trusts. making
war or trusts is like fighting mosqui-
toes by hand while all the people are
engaged in establishing and enlarging
stagnant pools around the habitations
afflicted by the troublesome insects
National WatchmGn.