The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1899-10-21

the states, without reference to politics,
certainly most OF the republican states.
have enacted antitrust laws.
ANY political party which In Its plat
form attempts to fix upon the republican
party the birth or developments of trusts
only demonstrates that II Is not worthy OF
confidence. or even OF respect.
How much better for all Of us to be
frank on a question OF such vital interest
to the American people and unite heartily
and periodically to try to understand
trouble and find such additional remedies
as will be possible and just. for the good
OF all.
IT have thought about II not little to
try and find the principles involved In the
trust or combination. l will call II trust
for convenience. II seems to me that when
the first copartnership was formed the
trust was born. When Mr.. Smith found
himself with $1,000 capital In the little
country town, unable to buy all that was
needed in that town and In the surrounding
country. and Mr.. Jones, with 5000 capi-
tai. found himself similarly situated. and
they got together and agreed to put their
capital into one business. giving them 81. 900
capital to work with, thus enabling them
to supply nearly all the articles needed In
their town and surrounding country. en-
abling them to do business in one store in
stead ~ two, to buy for cash instead OF on
jobberi: In other words, cheapening the
cost OF running the business and supplying
their customers. When that was done the
principle was recognized which permeates
in some degree every trust and combina-
ton. This illustration shows the delicacy
of broaching the question and the necess-
ty for earnest consideration Of the under
lying elements of these combinations
I'VE can see at a glance that II Smith
and Jones took too great an advantage OF
their favorable conditions and attempted
to put unwarranted prices upon their
wares, making unreasonable profits, anoth-
er store Is very likely to be started. and
that right soon. While this Is possible l
can see very little danger from bringing
capital together, but when we reach the
point that so much capital Is put together.
and that capital does business In every part
OF the country reducing the cost of opera
ton to a minimum, so that competition is
impossible by smaller capital, then great
fear comes to me.
Give to any man the absolute control of
the manufacture of a certain product, with
no power to restrain him In fixing his
charges, and he Is most likely to charge UNI
reasonable prices from the producer /
would not trust myself In such position,
nor do | know of one human being that
/ would trust in such a position. This,
then, forces me to the conclusion that there
Is danger to the public in the massing of
competition, unless that capital Is thor
oughly controlled so as to secure fair prices,
fair to manufacturer and fair to pro-
Queer
Some Proposed solutions.
Some of our ablest men who have
studied the trust question think that the
true solution of the trust question Is abso-
lutely fair play between the shippers over
the railroads. Our own distinguished cit
izen, George f. Roberts, In strong and
able article on the subject of trusts, points
to equal rates as the great relief to our
present trouble. Many others have advo-
Gated the same remedy. / believe that
much can be obtained from this source of
relief. but do not believe that this rem
edy.~will be complete.
Some entertain the idea that publicity OF
the operations of combinations will give all
the relief that is needed. Here again /
agree that from that source much good can
doubtless be derived. but 1t will be far
from being complete. The publicity fur
nished by an upright, high-mnded man
ager will be one kind of publicity. The
publicity furnished by shrewd. unscrupu-
lous, able manager will be another kind of
publicity We need more than that, as it
seems to me.
II think that there must be somewhere
lodged the power in this country that can
absolutely control the combination that
controls the price placed upon its product
Il
power should be strong enough to destroy
If the combination cannot be regulated in
the interest of the owners of tho capital and
at the same time In the intSres. Of the pub
lie who buy from them.
when the combined capital knows that
there Is not only a regulator but that that
regulator can kill II regulations should not
be observed, there will be much more like
lihood of good behavior on the part of the
combined capital.
Power Lodged In the state.
This power is already lodged in the state.
The state legislature has all power, ex-
cepting where limited by its own constitu-
ton or the constitution of the United
States. on the other hand. the federal leg
islature has no power excepting that which
Ia expressly granted by the constitution of
the United States, or Is needed to carry out
the special grants Of the federal constitu-
ton. l believe that the congress has gore
already nearly as far as IL Is possible for
1t to go, except possibly to extend and
enlarge its work. think 1t would be much
better to have federal legislation so that
the treatment of these combinations might
be uniform throughout the nation than to
have the peculiar views of each state crys-
tallized into law for the treatment of COM
binations. But to reach this by federal
legislation more power must be given to
congress than am able to find in the con-
stltution OF the United States. This is not
at all impossible.
II believe that congress will ultimately
act on this matter for the protection of the
people, and believe that the several states
would promptly ratify constitutional
amendment looking to the accomplishment:
of this important end. Such an amend
ment must be most carefully considered.
1t Is no easy task to frame one and to leg
lslate Hereunder, so as to reach the de
sired results without too much centraliza
ton and without encroachng upon the
power of the states.
THE democratic platform OF Iowa thiG
year recommends free trade as a complete
remedy. This Is In keeping with many
osher suggestions in that wonderful AMI
amusing Instrument But what would be
the effect Of free trade even when applied
to protected combinations in this country
Clearly the result will be to have the for
eign trusts and combinations of capital get
the American market instead of those IL
our own country.
mo, no. that is not the remedy. Let us
absolutely control by law, firmly and WISE
ly, the aggregated capital of our own coun-
try, but let our own capital, with our own
labor, furnish what is needed by our own
people.
Permit me to make one other sugges-
ton while on this subject. Under our
modern civilization and throughout the
world capital Is helpless without labor.
Labor Is helpless without capital. II is the
combination OF capital and labor which
gives the great potential force which we
are considering. Whatever legislation Is
passed should keep both partners steadily
and firmly In view.