The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1900-11-02
PREACHER DE-
NOUNCES TRUSTS


(By Rev. DR.. Hiram vrooman.)
"And what I say unto you I say
unto all, Watch" st. Mark, kill, 81.
On the fifth day Of this month, in one
day, more than a billion dollars was
consolidated in the formation Of new
trusts. The valuation Of all the proper.
ties in the United States combined is
less than sixty billion dollars, SO that
sixty days, or two months, progress
In trust making such as that which was
made on the fifth Of this month May
would cause all the wealth of our ma
ton. including every private fortune,
every home. every business enterprise,
every farm. to be absorbed by the
trusts.
Over six billion dollars, or about 10
per cent Of the wealth Of our nation,
has been consolidated in the formation
of new trusts within the past few
months, not to speak Of the trusts that
have been forming during recent years.
Capital controlled by'a trust is agrees
sive and warlike.
We are told that Aguinaldo's army
consists Of not more thar 10 per cent
Of the population of the Philippine ISL
ands, and yet this army has been SUI
preme in its power over the remain
Ing 80 per cent of unarmed people.
A trust is an army of capital, and ev-
cry dollar belonging to it is an armed
soldier in the field. Ten per cent Of
the nations wealth, when controlled by
trusts, can dominate the remaining 80
per cent of wealth as. ruthlessly as does
Aguinaldo's army control the 80 per
cent Of unarmed natives.
The trust, like Alexander the Great,
has started out to conquer the world;
but, unlike Alexander, instead Of cross
Ing the seas seeking the subjugation of
foreign nations, it begins by following
the methods of insurrection and rebel
lion and is making war on private cap
ltal and private business at home.
Long after our late war with Spain
has been forgotten, and after the pres
ent controversy relating to imperialism
has passed out Of mind, the events in
the progress of trust making tina are
now of daily occurrence will be fresh on
the pages Of history. How blind this
generation Is to the momentous events
by which 1t will be known in history!
The individual life of every man, wo-
man and child in this congregation is
going to be influenced more or less by
the social conditions which will result
from the present activity in trust max
ing. U church and our religion both
will be likewise influenced by the same
things. Eminently appropriate it is,
therefore, to throw some religious light
upon this panorama Of human affairs
from the pulpit.
Poverty is more destruvtice to life
than war, and it is more destructive to
religion than war. A cyclone in pass
ing through a village leaves the debris
homes to mark its course; likewise a
trust in passing through any line of
business leaves the wrecks from pri-
vate enterprises and private fortunes
n its wake.
Private business enterprises cannot
compete with trusts more successfully
Than can a mob compete with an army.
The trust, by virtue Of its organization
Ind enormous wealth, gains q control
,ver the natural resources Of the coun-
try and causes an economy in the pro-
iuction and distribution Of products,
L a,h}oh" %Hy~~c rr{0yafa D%orortcaNoor~
10. For these reasons, and others, the
rust a generally declare dividends on
is capitalization at times when COM
betting private enterprises are earning
10 dividends, but instead are drawing
bn their original capital in advance Of
business failure.
If the trust accumulates dividends
when private enterprise is losing mon
ky; II the trust, like a SNOWFALL, In roll
ing, doubles its size every few years
BY the reinvestment of. its dividends.
while private enterprise melts away,
unable to earn dividends: If the trust
san water its stock and thereby double
It's capitalization in the twinkling Of
In eye without any ~reinvestment Of
dividends whenever the ruin Of COM
peting enterprises gives 1t q clear field
tor operation-all of which things the
trust can do-then the time Is near at
hand when the trust will control the
production and distribution Of all
wealth.
The trust Is, by inherent nature, q
business despotism-an economic tyr
amy.
Under a trust system all employees
would be as directly dependent upon
the trust for a livelihood as the mean
est subjects Of any tyranny have I'VE
been dependent upon their king for So
cial liberties.
AS sure az the stars shine, one Of
two things will shortly come. to pass;
either the trust system will prevail and
establish an economic despotism, which
despotism will destroy, soonor or later,
political democracy and u republic;
or. vi republic, through political de-
mocracy, will prevail and transform
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