The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-05

Before moving. from his palace in New
York TO his magnificent castle in Scot
land. Andrew Carnegie. head OF the Steel
Trust, gentle friend of the toiler and
general all-around philanth;opist, found
time to address a farewell message TO the
nation he loves so well and VITA such so;
reason. If ne had failed to heal the dl.-
ferences which recently separated him
from his old partners. We might nsver
have enjoyed the blessing of the apostolic
epistle in question. We may go so far as
to say that if Mr.. Frick had carried ont his
threat to expose the methods practices.
and so on of the Carnegie combination in
open court and 10 explain how its oh .ef
within less than generation, has been en-
Rbled by McKinleyism and Dngleyism to
rise from modest competence TO the pas
session of an income OF twenty or twenty
five millions year, the great and & cd
man would have let the fountain CT his
pen 20 dry rather than stir up the question
of trusts in the public prints. But Prick
MAS piaeated. though not forgiven. That
could not be, for be had more than insin-
uated that Andrew Carnegie. the immac-
ulate laird of Skibo and one OF the J.
garchs of America. had triee to bunco him
cut of his interest In the trust, with force
and arms. by devious and sinuous means,
and after the manner of wicked men whoze
goods are green.
Prior 10 embarlling upon the briny deep,
Andrew Carnegie eonfded to the May num-
DER OF the Century Magazine" his Epistle
spoken. 1t is published undsr the caption
OF Popular Illusions About Trusts" Mr..
Carnegie thus proceeds to dispel them:
Every attempt to ponopolize the manufacture
OF any staple article carries within its bosom the
seeds Of failure. Long before could leeislate
with much effect against trusts there wouiu be
no necessity Tor legislation. The past proves
this, and the future is TO confirm it, There
should be nothing but encouragement for these
vast aggregstions Of capital for the manufacture
Of staple articles A. for the result being an
increase Of prize to the consumer beyond brief
period, there need be no fear On the contrary
the inevitable suit of these aggregato t. finally
and permanently, to give 10 the consumer cheaper
articles than would have been otherwise possible
10 obtain, for capital is stimulated by the high
profits Of the trust, for season. to embark
against IT. The result j. very soon a capacity OF
production beyond ,he wants Of the consumer and
a. the new works erected Of the most i'm
proved pattern, and capable of producing cheaper
than the old works the vulnerable trusts are com.
PEELED TO buy and capitalize two or three
times their cost. There is thus no danger ahead
10 the community from trusts. nor any causs for
fear"
This sounds well and is calculated to
sllsy alarm and suspicion. 1t is COM
forting TO be told that persons like
Carnegie. who certainly do attempt to
monopolize the manufacture and sale of
staple articles, carry within their bosoms
the seeds of failure In his particular case
they do not seem 10 have sprouted He
would add TO the sum of knowledge by
telling us what he took to prevent their
termination. II is difficult for the average
poor person to detect In an income OF
twenty-five millions per annum any large
seeds Of financial failure or distress.
The next proposition is equally interest
ing Mr.. Carnegie says that Gong before we
could legisia;e with much effect against
trusts there would be no necessity for leg
islation." We are in some doubt as to what
this phrase means. II its underlying idea
10 that by the time the people could force
legislation by turning the trust legisla-
ture out of power the trusts would own
the country and people, and that then
legislation would be unnecessary because
impossible We can quite follow the dis