The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1900-07-13
EVIL OF THE TRUSTS.
A Menace to Our National LLfe-The
Product Of Unhealthy Political
Conditions.


Whatever merit there may be in tho
claim made by the defenders OF the
trust, that the trust is the national
product OF our industrial evolution, in
asmuch as II economies human energy
and cheapens the product. 1t is appar-
emit that the evils so outweigh the good
that the question naturally arises
which can be the best. dispense with
| the trust or the republic?
OF what avail is it. il 10 save human
energy, we are compelled to sacrifice
the independence Of our people. there
by sapping the very vitals OF our re-
public? Ii is not many years ago. when
any young man Of thrift and energy
| could look forward 10 becoming his
| own master. The opportunity was
open TO him of carving his own destiny.
How different to-day. The young man
of to-day can expect nothing better
than 10 be the hireling OF some cor
poration or trust. III he Is man OF
great ability he may in return for the
surrender of every vestige OF his inde-
pendence obtain a most liberal salary.
III Of mediocre ability he will be COM
pelled TO work for starvation wages.
The door of opportunity being closed
TO him. he becomes an Industrial de-
pendent. a servile slave; being indus
trially dependent. ii follows as
matter of course that he is politically
dependent. 1t was this feeling of de-
pendence. this fear of coercion of their
l. - lie x.f
porations and trust employees vote for
Mckinley instead of Bryan in 1896.
OF what avail is our free ballot or our
free institutions, if through fear OF
starvation the thousands Of these de-
pendents will be found willing to bar
ter such freedom, wherein lies the fu-
ture of the republic'
The dangers that confront this ma
ton to-day are not from without, but
from within. We need the bravery OF
the citizen who dares to cast free
ballot. more than we do the bravery OF
the soldier who stands defiant amid
the smoke OF battle. We need heroes
| of peace more than heroes OF war.
! Men who never flinched before over
: whelming odds on the battlefield are
: with craven mien surrendering to the
t trust barons every day. ten-line
, notice on the factory door will create
e a greater stampede than battery OF
e rapid-fire guns. The trusts nave al
, ready weakened the moral stamina OF
e the nation, otherwise every state
. would inaugurate stricter quaran-
: tine against them than they would
: against Asiatic cholera.
{ The trust in private hands saves hui
I man energy. Yes. but for whose ben
; eft? 1t dsplaces the energy OF hope
e by the energy of fear. 1t robs the
i Young man OF manly Independent
J. hope. The trust is moral leper. II
y iniects it's soulless creed into our po
r. litical life. Ethics give way TO ma
il terialism: altruism to egotism: tn
IT brotherhood of man to the divine
e rights of kings. The reign OF tn
N trusts is but resurrection of the feu
! dial system. The power of the feuda
p barons Of the middle ages was mer
Al bagatelle compared to the power o
.. the industrial barons of to-day. Tn
is retainer OF the olden time who Eel
~ that ne was dbustu 'oh'N '~s>A' ~
v himself TO the forest and green swarc
and live a jolly. if not virtuous hft
With a good. faithful long bow an
hound he need not starve. The r.
II tainer of to-day in the person ~ u
factory slave the bankrupt SINAI. dea
err. the ex-traveling man and the cler
in the department store. the teacht
s. or the preacher are quickly starve
D. into subsection.
1t is no more criminal TO contr'
the supply of coal than it IL the SUI
es ply OF sunshine. II - just as niece
sarv for society to control the suppl
D. OF ice as il is the supply OF sewers.
= We can just as logically claim thu
:. the plague is the outcome OF our i
81 dustrial evolution as to claim that u
a. trust is. The trust is n disease. u
product Of diseased political and &c
nomic system. 1t was born and TO
VI tered by unnatural parents. 1t Wi
IN sired by special privilege and damn'
~ by transportation discrimination.
" godfather was a contracted currenc
ne Nothing can be natural that is the o.
81 spring Of the unnatural. Nothing CT
's be politically healthy that was br'
eo bv political diseases. j. Kent,
Nonconformist.