The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1900-02-13
CURSE OF TRUSTS!
The People Should Shake Off
their Sleep!
Ard Awaken to Prompt and Vigorous
Action!

every hundred dollar snare OF 1tS STOCK
is worth $500. Is it safe to permit such
organizations to exist in free country?
1t could not make such profits except |
by extortion from the people. 1t |
crushes all opposition. 1t would not |
have to do so, if it made better goods |
or sold its goods cheaper than other re-
fineries would and have done. 1t main
tains it's position as a monopoly by exer-
cising the powers that monopoly gives.
In the nature of things it cannot be
confined to the oil business and must
reach out and monopolize other bust
nesses. 1t makes millions of dollars in
profits every year. These millions
must be invested or they will be use
less. We find that they are investing
largely in several leading lines of busi-
ness, and as fast as they can, are mo-
nopolizing the business in those lines.
They have largely monopolized the
shipping of the Great Lakes, crushing
out the small ship builders and owners,
and by reason of the control of the
commerce of the lakes, can fix the price
the farmers of the great northwest
have to pay for carrying their grain to
market, and will control the iron mar
kets and coal markets of Northern
Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and
the Dakotas.
They have bought large railroad in
terests, and will eventually control
some of the largest railroad properties
of the country. They are looking
first after the great arteries of trade,
t knowing that those who control these,
: will control the trade of the country.
If they have not already done so
0 they will buy up the coal mines, and
: control the supply and price of the
t peoples fuel.
e They have bought many hundreds o
q thousands of acres of land.
1t is said they have secured paten
that will enable them to control tn
s soap market.
:, How many branches of the busines
l. of the country they control, and will
monopolize, we cannot tell. We onl,
o know, that its methods and success
. have been such that they must eithe
;, abandon their methods or go on grow
1t ing and gormandizing everything i
N sight that they can swallow.
!. Is it for the good OF the country, tina
:. such things are possible? Let tn
thousands of men who have bee
thrown out of employment and who's
a' businesses have been ruined by this mt
IL nopoly, answer.
es There is no question about it. Th
a1 monopoly cannot be allowed to gro
Id and swell, and crush all opposition
ao it's anaconda folds, without disaster
Is our country and the destrution OF OIL
u civilization.
"a And yet the Standard Oil COmpar
at is only one of the great Trusts that
r. slowly crushing out the business ar
Is liberty of the masses.
ne All history has taught the burnir
al lesson that MoNoPoLIES ARE EVE
AND ALWAYS A CURSE. TIE increa:
OF wealth in ali civilizations has co
gested in the hands of few who hay
robbed the masses under the forms
law; and dynasties, governments al
= civilizations have gone to their deaf
through the NAV of this monstro1
man eater.
le The question in our day is, have v
an intelligence, q religion and patti
er otism that will enable us to strang
III the monster before it renders us po'
ny erless?
er Can we shake it Off? Can we cripp
he it? Can we throttle it? Can we he
yh ourselves? Many faint hearts are fea
p, full. Many strong hearts are doubtfr
or But why should this be? All the pO
er there is on earth, belongs to Il
people. For the public good, we ha
a right to do anything. Under o
X laws, and through law, we promo
as businesses, we control them, or '
forbid them. We seize the property
G. the individual, we restrict his libert
la we take his life, if necessary. We sci
the robber to the penitentiary, Il
E. young patriot to the soldiers deaf
n the criminal to the gallows-all for Il
,r, public good. There is no questio
]. therefore, of the power of the peopl
W, in Government by the people. The
an need be no trouble about methods.
Or, necessary, if these monopolies cam
N, be crushed otherwise, every officer, G
ne cry manager, every stockhOlder, eve
5le promoter, every agent could be Sc
le to the gallows, and every dollar
their stock confiscated. But there ne
be no resort to desperate or revolutiC
ary methods. Let the people decla
ell, these monopolies unlawful, make it u
at lawful to collect their bills, and ma
he it penal offense to hold stock in the
at and the question will be solved.
M We believe that such drastic me;
al. ures should be resorted to, if mild
les measures fail.
rs. But the people should make the
be selves heard, now, before their loc
NO are shorn by this Delilah that lu
lei them to sleep by telling them they a
IN only giving them better goods, at low
" prices, than they could otherwise {
M tain.
THE NEW COMMISSION