The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1899-07-21

! Opment Of its natural resources have
gone on until recently without the aid
Of trusts. The watering Of stock, the
bankruptcy Of rivals and the absolute
control Of the price Of the product, Of
raw material and of the rate Of wages
these things are not necessary to bust
ness success, nor are they essential to
the proper development of a country.
On the contrary, the greatest devel-
Opment, the most rapid progress and
/ the largest total accumulation OF wealth
can be expected from a system which
infuses hope and ambition into the
largest number Of toilers and gUaran-
I tees to every individual the enjoyment
of the largest possible share OF wealth
which he creates. The trusts, instead
Of accelerating production, really les
sen the total product, while they con-
/ centrate the rewards OF labor so that
( but few are benefited.
Trusts Defenders FataIfsts.
The defender Of trusts thinks him
self an Optimist because he sees no
danger ahead, but instead Of being an
Optimist he is really fataIist- He ac-
cepts a trust as a thing inevitable. In
stead Of considering the trust question
upon its merits he assumes that If is
good because it EXISTS.
If a physician finds his patient Gov
cred with bOils he does not try TO con-
vince him that boiIs add to ones beau
ty or that they are a blessing because
they have appeared. Instead of prais-
ing bOils be administers a remedy that
viii purify the blood. So the real op-
timist believes In The ability of the
people to govern themselves and to
correct by proper methods all the alb
uses Of government. Like the farmer,
he cultivstes the good grain and de-
strOys the nOxiOus weeds.
Mr.. Havemeyer thinks that federal
legislation should not be invoked for
the humiliation of the trust. Speak
ing to the commission, he says: The
sooner you realize it and quit trying to
control it by federal legislation the
better for all" But state legislation
is not sufficient.
So long as the injury done by a trust
is confined to the state in which it ex-
lists the remedy can safely be left to
that state, but when states advertise
themselves as breeding places for
trusts, and vie with each other in the
passage Of laws favorable to the organ
izatiOn. and protection of trusts, it be-
comes necessary for the people to re-
sort to an authority which reaches to
every nook and corner Of the country.
The state authorities can do some
thing, but their efforts will not be com
pletely successful. The fear of driving
capital from the state, and the desire
to attract capital to the state operate
to paralyze the arm Of the state in deal
ing with the trusts. The federal gov
eminent alone can supply a remedy
commensurate with the evil.
One passage in Mr.. Havemeyer's tes-
timOny shows a superficial knowledge
Of social conditions. He says: "Citi-
zens are divided into two classes-the
industrious and those who wish to live
on the industry of others. 1t is they
who are without capital who are hostile
to it. This is only another mode Of
stating the obvious proposition that it
IS those who are without means who
wish to have it without work"
Country Not Hostile to Capital.
There is no hostility to capital in this
country. On the contrary, everybody
is DESTROYS Of accommodating the thing
called capital, but there is hostility to
some Of the methods employed by those /
who possess large capital to overreach /
those who possess less capital There
is some Ostility-though not as much /
as there should be-toward those who I
use large accommodations Of capital to /
corrupt government and purchase spe- /
cisl privileges, and then use the power |
acquired to destroy competition and /
trample upon the rights Of weaker |
members Of society. There is some /
hostility toward those who, in the &C
curing OF capital, have not furnished /
TO society an adequate return for the /
capital acquired
If society Is in danger, the danger /
does not come from those aEho are
without means and who wish to have it
without work" but from those who 4
have means for which they did not
work.
Bismarck, in addressing an audience
OF farmers few years ago, told them
that they would have 20 act together
IN order to protect themselves afrom
the drOnes Of society, who produce
but laws" If We could to-day
divide the people Of the United States
into two classes, placing in one group
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