The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-02-28
EXIT THE FLOUR TRUST.

EXIT THE FLOUR TRUST.
The collapse of the -four trust is on-
inous. After securing the length and
mills to control, and after having form
ed the biggest combine which existing
conditions rendered possible, these adj
venturous SPECTATORS have reached the
end of their rope, and their reward ID
financial strangulation.
Minnesota was the principal scene OF
the operations of these trust promot-
ers Their operations were carried on
in the face of legislation which is suppos-
ed to be directed against just such OPP
erations. They had no fear. They knew
that the law did not stand in their way,
and that If they could control the output
of the big mills at Minneapolis or any
fair proportion of them, their ends would
have been accomplished, and they would
be at liberty to levy what toll they pleas
ed on. the bread of the people. There
would have been no interference with
pected to enforce the law. 1t is entirely
desirable for our state attorney TO run
from one antitrust conference to an
ether; but no one, not even ne nimseil'
conceives 1t to be part Of his duty TO re-
gard seriously the laws which exist
against Just such combinations as Mcln-
tyre and his fellows sought to establish.
The failure of the scheme is an evil
dence of the certain downfall of such OF
ganizations which have mere specuia-
ton as their chief basis They fall by
force of their own lack Of substance. But
no one can predicate from the destruc-
ton of this or similar speculations the
destruction of the vast organizations
which are spring!ng up all over the coun-
try, and which have ample capital Dc
hind them, and which are designed to
put an end to serious competition IN the
various industries they represent. NO;
these organizations go on accumuiatlns.
Nothing, absolutely nothing, Is oeihg
done to prevent them, either by state or
national authority. The recent success
full prosecution of the Addyston Steel
Pipe company was made inevitable by
the foolish nature Of the agreement en-
tered into, and the needless publicity
given to the operations Of those engaged.
II was the work of a federal district at
| torney down In Tennessee. and has been
| placarded all over the country as repre-
| senting the determination of the admin
| istration officials to put an end to the
| trust conspiracy. If such determine
| ton exists, why is not something SUBJ
| stantial being done to make 1t plain? Ths
/ figures in capitalization which the exist
| ing trusts represent transcend the popu-
| lar understanding and defy computation.
| The party Of the administration Is In con-
| troll in every state in the country outside
| the South, save few; but neither ex-
ecutive officials nor legislators are giving
| themselves any concern. In the South
| these monsters of industrial life have no
| standing Where they have sought stand
| ing they have been denied and driven
out by the active zeal Of public off,
Gals.
While this state of neglect and mac
ton. is maintained by prosecuting off,
Gals all over the country, it Is pleasant
to reflect on the Illustration which the
collapse of the -four trust offers OF the
certainty that, sooner or later. the vic
tins of the craze for Industrial concen-
tration which is in progress will be
brought to their senses, and that the
operation of economic laws will of itself
do much to save us from the worst con-
sequences Of the existing conspiracy.