The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1899-12-08


Sunday Journal, SAYS
The trust issue Is 81 simpl, and
III lin, and clear, that the waytaring
man, though fool, may not err
therein. In the dc p and troubled
unrest OF these times there is no
hostility 10 wealth honestly ac-
luired and honorably enjoyed, Tor
al are striving q better their own
condition. Neither is there any
hgtred of corporations They are
recognized as the ministers and
agents imperatively demanded by
ournew civilization. All this empty
chatter about the antiquity OF tru i,
md their benciicence in cheapen-
ing production deceives no one In
one breath We are told they have
Nisted for many centuries, and IN
The next they are the result Of
modern industrial methods, and
have come To stay.
"lt manufacturers and producers
combine in partnerships, or corpor
ations, or trusts, To diminish ex-
penses and make larger gains on a
narrow r margin, 50 long "a compe-
iiiion is open and free no one can
Justly con plain. The itteSt must
survive; the weakest must % 10 the
vail. But the apologist- and allies
u the trusts contound the issue.
rhe irresistible tendency To cooper
rion both OF capital and labor is
admitted. 1t is not denied that IN
many instances they are benign.
Of such the people do not complain,
though they are not miSle by the
amusing preiense that even these
are purely phIlan'hropic and con.
lucIed solely for The amelloration
81 the condition cf the poor. 1t il
only when they obtain exclusive
control of products designed Tor the
benefit Of all, putting an end to com
petition, destroying opportunity, re-
ducing labor to the condition Of vol
uniary seryitude, making the pub
he victims OF intolt rable eXtort.on,
that they become the objects OF
popular execration.
"What the ceolie are determined
% crush in whatever guise il may
ambu Ii, or under whatever name it
may masquerade, il monopoly, and
II any man or any party supposes
they lack either the inclination or the
power, the mistake ultimately will
be apparent, and perhaps sooner
dian j. anticipated.
AT this moment there is coal
famine i'm the United : ates, which
l. serious and may b. acute. With
a sudden cold wave would come
suffering and detriment to half the
Of the temperate zone.
Railroads, factories, electric light
and power plants, the palaces OF
merchants, the kitchens Of lahorers,
are on short allowance Without
coal, civilization would re inpossi
bic and society would disintegrate.
OF tons are stored in nature
treasures. Thousands Of workmen
wait to bring il to the surface, but
the supply falls far beneath the de-
mand Tor this commodity, which isl
a. necessary To man a. water, light
Or air.
COsT REMAINS TUE SAME.
Scarcity is followed by increase Of
price, though the cost remains the
same. A. the mercury goes dow n,
.oal goes up. + ON Peoria comes
lac announcem ut that the Central
illinois soft coal association has de-
r'ded in conference to raise the price
from 7 cents To l5cents, an incre ,se
d more than 100 Ier cent This is
.he same association that kept Illi-l
nois in state Of civil war nearly al II
summer TO prevent miners from
coal, in order to despoil the
people at the approach Of winter byl
declaring that the supply was not
equal To the demand.
a lew weeks ago the phiIanthro-
piSt- who have monopolized the pro
luction Of window glass, suddenly
closed their works, discharged To- II
900 lahorers, aud raised the price
lO per cent for the benefit Of the
poor In thu last Y ar wire nails
have been raised 2OO per cent with
but slight increase IN the cost Of pro /
iuction. The impudent fal-ehood I
that trusts and monopulies cheaper
products aud benefit the consumer
Is diSproved by the fact that the
prices of wall paper, rubber goods,
food products, furniture, fence wire,
agricultural implements, coal, glass
and innumerable other commodities
controlled by these monsters have
been arbitrarily increased for no
cause except to pay dividends on