Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1900-03-16
Y. SOUTH DAKOTA FRIDAY. MARCH is, 1900.

CANTON. SOUTH DAKOTA
TRUSTS.---By JAMES CREELMAN.
There is something terrifying in the
power which the trust system has sud
denly developed under the protection
of the McKinley-Hannaa administration.
It seems almost incredible, yet the Of
fcal figures show that she trusts in
corporated in the state of New Jersey
in one year have an aggregate capital
Of 50, 446, 500, 900
Try to grasp that with your mind.
Two thousand four hundred and forty
six millions-the record of the state for
one year. And remember that this
does not take away account OF IN.
corporated companies whose capital
stock is less than So, 100000.
This state of New Jersey, which mas
in one year licensed trusts to the extent
of nearly two and half billions OF dol
lars, is the home of Mr.. Grlggs, the
attorney y-general Of the United states;
He was chosen because he was friend
and defender of The trust system. Is it
any matter for wonder that Mr.. Griggs
refuses to enforce the antitrust law,
which the Supreme Court only two
years ago declared to be constitutional
and necessary for the interests OF the
nation?
Two billions and a half-one state,
in one year! This is the robbers roost''
denounced by Mr. Bryan.
Until THE Examine" sent to Trenton
and had the figures copied from State
records there were no suspicion IN the
public mind that the trust system had
grown in one place 10 such astounding
proportions. This swift concentration
Of the powers of monopoly represents
strangling process that is crushing
thousands and thousands Of small but
independent business men and mer-
chants out of trade =
1t is converting the American people
into nation of hired agents and clerks
with no hope of independence left.
Today this hitherto unheard of ana
undreamed Of industrial despotism is
intrenched behind government OF its
own making. Every agency Of the
Federal Administration, the President
and Attorney General down to the
humblest law office is strained to en-
courage and strengthen the trusts.
Senator Hanna. the Chairman of the
Republican National Committee. and
spokesman of President Mckinley, has
declared again and again that 'trusts
should be let alone" And the enmil-
lioned system pours money into Mr..
Hanna's campaign fund to keep Presi-
dent Mckinley and Attorney General
Griggs in Office.
What chance has young man in
America to become independent? !?
What is to become Of the young men?
The trusts are absolutely destroying all
opportunity for competition. They
say to the young man of brains and
ambition, you shall not engage in bust
ness save as employees" When Mr.
Rockefeller and Mr.. Havemeyer and
Mr. Carnegie began life there were no
trusts 10 strangle their ambitions and
limit their opportunities.
Twenty years ago The field was free
TO all. A man who had brains. ap-
plica,ion and courage could raise in
any branch Of commerce or industry
and become independent. That was
true twenty years ago. ls it true now?
The trust organizers. having had full
opportunities to complete in their own
day, are now shutting the door upon
all others.
w u1G WILL Iu0 SAGudoAOA NO oCAA SUAo
from now, or even five years from now?
Can any man who has children con-
template the future without dread? II
the trusts organized in New Jersey
last year haye capital Of two and a
half billion of dollars. what will their
power be when the boy Of today is
man?
The most important point to under
stand is that this overwhelming con-
centration in new thing; that this
swift noiseless change has been made
chiefly since President McKinley's
election, and that it is doubling and
trebling every few months. The great
railway system are being bought up
and consolidated and an attempt is
being made to make single system
from the Atlantic to the Pacific, which
will destroy all hopes of competition. =
The whole anthracite coal supply OF
the United States is controlled arbit-
rarily by four railroads, dominated by
four men, who in turn are dominated
by one man. Thus the price of coal
and the amount to be mined each year
are fixed and the public must submit.
Competition is out of the question.
Saw Froncisco Examiner