The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-01
DRuMMERs AND THE TRUSTS.


There is perhaps no class of citizens
who have demonstrated more conclusive
w their influence ON current political
events than the commercial travellers OF
the United States. And they have, more
over, acted in connection with poltucaf
events In a. manner which shows that
they are not in their conduct controlled
by partisan considerations. What they be-
lieve to be promotive of. the general wei
fare that they sustain, in Political con-
duct without regard to the party which
favors ore.o ppesesJnI tni is true that the
test they apply usually in reaching their
conclusions Isl the tests of, THEM own OBJ
servation and experience with reference
to business transactions, 70 say that
that test is decided on in the last event by
their understanding of their own inter
ests. as the trust administration organs
now say. is merely to say Of the drum
niers what is true Of every other class Of
society.
A good deal In such matters, Of course,
depends upon the party which IS gored.
1t now happens that the BUSINESS inter
ests and business experience Of the tray-
elers unite in satisfying them that the
trusts are a menace to the welfare OF
the country, and accordingly they are de-
nounced as they were denounced In con-
nection with their views of the enactment
of the Mckinley tariff law as being III
fiuenced by purely pecuniary considera-
tons The New York Times designates
their conduct as being dictated by selfish
considerations and reasons itseh up
pretty closely to sustaining the PROPOSE
ton that, being selfish in their views and
purposes, 1t would be class legislation If
congress, or the states, were. for augnt
which the commercial travellers urged.
to .egislate against the trusts.
Commercial travellers have peculiarly
strong opportunities for forming correct.
Judgment upon the effect on the business
interests of the people of a given line of
public policy. They have exercised their
opportunities In this regard with refer
ence to the trusts They have given ex,
preston to their conclusions To say
that those conclusions possess little or
no value because 1t appears that the per-
sonal and selfish interests of the travel
ers are involved, and because the growth
of the trusts throw many of them out Of
&c To
description of argument which Is con-
demned as valueless when declared to be
resorted to by others,
The powers of adaptability of the
American people are recognized as being
pretty well developed There is no class
of American society which is more
marked by the possession of this blessed
faculty than the commercial travelling
class. They adapt themselves more
quickly and more readily to a given
situation than anybody else. They are
men of the highest versatility. It sounds
altogether unreasonable to believe that,
finding; their occupation limited by the
growth Of trusts, they would merely sit
Down and whine about 1t. Did these
men consider that they had natural
condition. to deal with they would just
set out and find other employment for
themselves promptly. But they do
not ard their revolt Is against the arti-
fetal conditions which they see. being
brought into existence in the business
world, and which they are satisfied work
inevitably toward the plumber of the con-
suniing and producing public and the dis
tention of a number Of social and In.
dustrial sponges which have already alb
sorbed more than their share Of the COM
mon substance.