The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-09-12

s5sss use IF The people, by sup
isssssssl ,nFal atti ordinary cntrl,eti-
ten. t.ssis eiira,iri;1g sasicas 10 the gene
s,ls.s arr ol,fios.oaes 10 the com
asits,ii ~ ss ana the pIlbiEc welfare. They
Z are s dangerous censp.racies against the
coed st,su.d be made the sub
lsssss Of .,r5hsisiiety or penal legislation
'iaat' uIssio Inc iils;lsest standard of trust
and If Mr.. lsssan sso;'s.s to
turn irsist trick Oh Mckinley he has
sgas - "a: uI..,.is,ts. as the Yankees say.
and eteag OF, eo;l,c furid phrases tl'iltsl,
no; yes assnelse. Vice
We entirely agree with Mr. Mckinley
II Tier: ;fs aug of tileso hoE.rsd eoll1l-
nations ,5t csIsisai. snch rs he Describes.
they should be lrassedaou iato the light
of sias ana uses should be hung. 81. Y n
aud qs:asiered without; benef,t Of Clergy
But are there any s,lsla2 Il may be that
;ssz.ssSe protective t;nlG acts OF Congress
nlat Mr. Mckinley isl'nrcd Sc earnestly
Ia sastesn iiDbn the AI1esic9ia peoPlc afford
silsittfs 1icy e,,rii combinations as he de-
ss,sii,es. ana we say NC NH heartily join
wifi bin IN having the nliscfiefo,is acts
ret.eaied. that these wicked combinations
Of c4ilaiai may be broken up. But If
there be any DETERMINATIONS OF capital,
such as AR. Mckinney describes. where
are they We knew Of sczie great cor
norafi.ns Ike the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company and the STANDARD Oil Company
that make millions Of dollars Of annual
revenue for tneir Stockholders. but where
in are they different from Inc ordinary cor
i,orations taat VIC see doing business all
around us? They are organized and con-
structed in all respects upon exactly the
same principles as the corporations that
sell dry goods en- Broad Street and meat
and grain on Cary Street. and If We are
soing 20 undertake to ahridse the privi-
legcs in business OF those great corpora
tons then re aim d fatal blow at he
principle of Incorporation; and can the
world get on with its business without
corporations? We confess to an utter
inability 10 draw n line that will curb the
enterprises of great corporations. and yet
leave these small corporations. which are
absolutely essential 10 national life, the
freedom wllIdl they must have to conduct
their affairs successfully.
Tho clainor about trusts seems to have
pretty Wei run its course SO far as it applies
to coinbina tons between individual citi-
zens. The public is beginning 10 see that
there is really no difference in principle
between a combination of 1,o3o citizens hay
ing ono hundred million dollars Of capital
and a combination Of three citizens hay re a
capital Of sS.o0e. II is true that the one
combination may be vicious and the other
beneticial if the one ccntemplates ma
lic.ons injury 10 some one While the other
aims In good faith at its own berefit only
But that principle might make the great
examination The good one and the small
combination the bad one. This subject is
beginning to be better understood and
after while people will learn that the
question before them is, will they abandon
steam. electricity and other modern de-
yelopments or will they permit the com
binations of capital that are necessary to
control ttie competition that steam ana
electricity have forced upon the world.