Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-03-29

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acquire any property that he pleased,
so long as he could make a satisfactory
trade with the owner thereof. The
right of a man to buy all the markets
or all the drugstores or all the grocer
les H. a town, county or state is I'M
questioned and cannot be interfered
with. And after he, or several of him,
either as a firm or corporation, has
once bought them, can the state tell
him how he shall run his own bust
ness, how much he shall charge for his
goods and what shall be the limit of
his profits OF course not. Right there
is where the modern trust evades
legislation aimed at it.
Not satisfied with the earth, most of
the trusts want to fence it in. They
bind their helpless victims to the most
outrageous and unreasonable condi-
tions. They impose a system of re-
bates and penalties that gives their
own goods such an advantage that no
competition could live for a moment
alongside. Nor can the law easily dis
tmb such contracts as they make with
retailers.
Trusts have almost paralyzed the
commercial traveller industry. When
there was great competition, each firm
had its agents on the road selling
goods. Now, the trust magnates in
their offices and the public comes, beg
ging the privilege Of buying at the best
price that the trust will condescend to |
give. Thousands of drummers have |
been thrown out Of employment. If
this had resulted i'm lowering OF prices |
to the consumer 1t might be an argu- |
ment in favor OF the trusts, but the sal
aries saved have gone into the trust |
treasury, not into the pockets of the
people. Prices have not fallen.
One Of the greatest evils Of the trust
is its centralizing tendency. 1t means
a class of stockholders drawing huge
profits at the expense Of the general
public. 1t means a chance for stock
and brokers' profts--a
business honorable in itself, but not
actually productive of wealth. 1t
means a few high-salaried magnates,
who earn rich living easily. 1t means
little, if any, more to the common en-
Dloyes Of the trust, since the wage
market governs this. 1t means wider
gap than ever between riches and pow
,rty-a greater contribution by the
mass Of the people to the incomes of
he wealthy. 1t means the lessening
If young mans opportunities in life,
Is only few can attain to the head
hip of trusts.
1t does seem as if the public had
ome rights that the monopolies should
aspect. 1t does seem that the public
hould have some remedy against the
nordinate greed Of the modern trust.
When the Standard Oil company is de-
laring quarterly dividends of 20 per
ent, with its stock selling at over 500,
nd the price of oil Increased to double
ghat it was a few years ago; when the
company is able to show a
rotit in single year of Si2 100000
ihen everything we buy from the era
lie to the casket is controlled by a ,
rust, which fixes prices arbitrarily; it /
oes seem as ii some means should be ,
evised for putting on the brake in the |
interest of the people who foot the bills
it is right that no man should work
Or so low a wage that it will not de- ,
emily support him, it is just that nc
ian should so manipulate things that
ne returns of his investment or his la
or are so great that those who con-
'ibute to them are made to suffer. l
1t is radical step and should not be =,
lken without a great deal of consider
ton, but when a monopoly becomes a
} arrogant and greedy and oppressive ,
lat 1t is public menace and injury.
no other method of curbing it can Il
c devised why should not the gov
itself exercise its power of en- .
rent domain-the interests of the
hole people, rather than of a few b
nd assume either control or absolute
of the offending trust This B
,uld be done, and so far as we can Il
e it is the only effective legal method +,
curbing the trusts. tt
Jell-O, The New Dessert, d
eases all the family. -Four nsvors:-Le Lemon n
ange, Raspberry aud strawberry At your gro
RS iUc- Try u TO-DAY
North Randolph. Itl