The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-11-20
.MANurACrUR1NG AR1sTOCRACY."

II am OF OPINION, upon Gu0 WnO10,
that the manufacturing aristocracy
which is growing up under our eyes
is n of the hardest which ever ex-
listed in the world but at the same
time it is one of the most confined
and least dangerous. Nevertheless,
the friends of Democracy should
keep their eyes anxiously fixed in
this direction for if ever a perma-
nent inequality of conditions and
a~ristocracy again penetrate into the
world, it may be predicted that this
is the gate by which they will enter"
So wrote that most prophetic of
political writer's, Alexis de Tocque-
vile, in his Democracy in Amer
ica," over sixty years ago. By our
productive system and our special
legislation we have done what we
could to create and develop this
manufacturing a~ristocracy - and,
mitigated as it is by the influence of
Christianity and restrained as it is
by the spirit of Democracy, The Out
look cannot doubt that it really ex-
lists, that what are called ''trusts"
are but N manifestation of it, and
that it is a real though we do not
think a serious menac to the Re-
public. A condition of society in
which one small group of men oon
troll the light, another the fuel, a
third the sugar, u fourth the more
important lines of transportation,
and other groups make attempts,
generally abortive though sometimes
temporarily successful, to control
other elements scarcely less neces-
sary to our material well-being, if
not absolutely to our civilization,
cannot be regarded with other than
disfavor if not apprehension by
thoughtful citizens. The antitrust
campaign is the protest of a some
what blind sentiment against so IN
democratic a tendency, a tendency
which must be c~ounteracted Ly an
intelligent study of it's nature and
origin, and wisely directed efforts to
secure the material benefits which
concentration of labor brings with
out suffering the evils, both material
and moral, inherent in monopoly.
The real and radical protection
against a manufacturing aristoc-
racy' is free competition, and sucha
moral and intellectual education for
all the people as will make that com
petition real and universal. Asocial
organization which leaves the door
of opportunity accessible to every
man, and d system of public educa-
ton which gives to every child Il fair
chance to fit himself for opening it,
may not and will not prevent ali
social and Industrial injustice but
if these two concur, they will go far
to prevent the permanent control of
any industry by an aristOcracy. II
to these be added such Christian in
fuences and such enlightened public
opinion as will tend to make rich
and strong regard themselves as the
servants of the poor and weak, the
perils OF a manufacturing aristOc-
racy' will be reduced perhaps as far
as mere moral forces can reduce them.
Other concurrent remedies must be
legal and political. We shall not
pretend to offer here specifics there
is no short and easy method OF deal
ing with this subject but we may at
least indicate some Of the methods
which have been either actually
tried OF tentatively proposed.
These include: abolition of all
special taxation, including protective
tariffs, and the substitution therefor
of a tariff levied for revenue only :;
taxing corporate values at no less a
rate than private property prohibit
ing all false valuations or sO-called
watering, rs d fraud upon the public !;
requiring all corporations and all
combinations of corporations to pub
lish their accounts, and to subject
them when required to official in
quiry and Investigation; making
penal all combinations to raise prices
or limit production prohibiting one
corporation to get the control of an
other corporation for the purpose of
establishing a monopoly; prohibit
ing a monopoly from participating
in interstate commerce requiring
all corporations dealing in the neces-
saries of life to deal equally with all