The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-28
MOST TMpoRTAnr OF ALL.

| II IS lTOiH ON0Iy punt VI view c@AA NAA
| fortunate circumstance for the country
| that both parties profess opposition to
the trusts Such an attitude, Of course
! precludes the possibility Of the trust issue
receiving the prominence which 1t merits
in the political campaign now in progress.
Yet there Is no question-indeed, there
same tremendous possibilities of evil to
the country as the question of the public
control of the trust organizations.
We may choose to ignore the fact, but
grievees significance that i. is since the
public eutcry again: the trusts grew
loudest that those organizations began to
spring up in numbers and financial pro-
alarm.
Nohins has occurred in the past
year or two either in politics, in legisla-
| ton or in judicial action which seems to
| have been accepted by the trusts as ade-
| quate to cause them to suspend or lessen
the extent of their operations. With the
total capital employed in this country in
| manufacturing and mechanical opera
| lions, according to the census Of 1890, a
little over Sc, go, 600, the aggregate cap
itaI reported for existing trusts far ex-
ceeds 81, COZ, eco 600, and is steadily on The
Increase.
This cewth has been such as to cause
alarm to even the most altruistic student
Of social and economic questions. Toward
organizations in existence was in the
vicinity Of 300, and their capital stock
and bonded debt aggregated $366O, 0,OOe,
of which something like $1,000, 900 900 be-
longed to companies chartered during the
year. BY the beginning of March Of this
year the number bad increased to $50, and
the stocks and bonds had reached the
aggregate Of SIS, $4,000, 600. Between Jan.
and Aug. 1 OF the present-year 1A cor
poratiens were chartered, each Of which
had a capital stock and bonded debt Of
more than s10,e9Oe eco.
It may and doubtless will materially
affect the future OF our political institu-
tons, should we prove to have embarked
permanently in the policy of governing
other races In distant lands, as subjects
rather than as citizens. The developments
now in progress in China may touch US
very closely, and may not be brought to
=
with ether powers in the inevitable smash
which Is impending IN the Orient. But
all Of the consequences which may come
TO US from those directions, great as they
may be, are, after all, relative In their
nature and effect. With the production
of the necessaries OF life controlled by q
few large concerns, and that control ex-
tending and becoming still more assured
each succeeding day, the certainty of rev.
olution In the effort to produce an enec-
tive remedy becomes all the more certain
the longer We put of dealing with such
threatening conditions It would be hard
to specify an article in general use,
the supply OF which is not controlled by
some trust or other, so that potential
competition in the production and sale
Of 1t is becoming less and less effective
every day, If it has not ceased to exist
entirely.
The approaching national election will
determine very little, SO far as the trusts
are concerned. The trouble chiefly lies
in the fact that public men, as g rule,
like individuals, are controlled by money;
and the trusts have the money-most of
the money of the coHntry, in fact. But
whatever that election does or does not
settle, the sooner the American people
get ready seriously to settle with the
trusts and with those who In public Life
have thus far done, either negatively or
affirnatively, all they could to aid and
protect them, the better it will be for
their own peace and prosperity.