The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-05


Rockefeller. with his yearly wage OF sew
enty millions or so, would be the las, 10
find fault with the ways of a Providence
which has filled their barrels to overflow
ing and enabled them, with their fellows,
TO buy up a great national party of moral
IDEAS but criminal purposes, its Admins
tration, its majority in Congress every
thing connected with lhe active forces OF
government but jhe Supreme Cour. upon
which even nov they are casting a visit
full eye.
But the path Of eiors for Carnegie aad
his brother plutorrats is hHed with The
skeletons of worthy business enterprises
which they have crushed and ex'ermi-
mated and there are Insane asyluns,
almshouses, and graveysrGs full Of their
victims. Trusts have not grown to be the
| virtuous and highly connc ndable vast
aggregations' of capital that the Scotch
contributor depicts them without The IN
| cidental elimination Of thousands OF sturdy
| American merchants. miners. and mani
| facturers, who have been driven from Pc
| sitions of great usefulness and compare
| tive afIluence to become ordinary wage
earners with no future hope of he'terins
| their condition. Indeed that great mid
die class. composed OF intelligent and edu-
Gated people neither rich nor poor, which
was the mainstay and pride Of the nation
a generation ago, has been ground into
dust under the chariot wheels Of he
trusts. and practically has disappeared
Is it sufficient excuse for this result that
the prices of some staple commodities hsve
been temporarily lowered in The opera
ton? VIII they remain so when the iaur-
der of competition has become complete
and the fear of punitive legislation haa
passed away? The Carnegie argument
that trust profits stimulate the investment
of capital in competition. is an ancient and
bald-headed theory which, as anyone can
see, is inapplicable to current conditions
For example, the few people in this world
who by combination among themselves
could hope TO engage in industrial war
against the Carnegie trust. are estopped
from doing anything OF the kind. First,
because it would take decades to buy. or
ganize, develop and set in motion such
collection of mineral properties. mines,
iron. steel. and coke plants, and transpor-
tation lines on land and water. Second,
because the -millionaires VINO aiore
could accomplish such work have their
hands full with their own concerns al
ready. We may add that Zone Of them
would be likely to enter upon vast COM
petftive struggle in which millions would
have to be wasted before the end Of It,
when. by combinations Of an amicsble
character the lot could parcel out the
good things of the land without collision
or friction. Witness tbs association Of he
monster railway. oil. tobacco. and other
trusts in New York for common. financial
operations, The Standard Oil bank scandal,
in which the Republican Administration
has suffered 50 severely in reputation. has
served 10 direct attention TO the real ten
dency of the trust movement which in nc
sense is in the direction of competition
On the contrary. it is seen to be in that Of
practical If half conceded and unofficial
coalition The magnates OF most Of the
giant trusts now sit Together in the direc-
torates of railway systems, banks. and
marine transportation companies. They
join in huge schemes for the exploitation
of new territories. and for gold mining, as
in the case of the Cape None beach placer
steal. Trey combine for the control of all
public facilities To great extent the
chief proprietors Of the richest and most
obnoxious trusts constitute a single syndi-
cate for the control and loot Of the Ameri-
can people and the American empire.
There is thus" as the pious Carnegie .
says. nc danger ahead 10 the community
from trusts nor any cause for fear"
''The great natural laws. being the outgrosth Of
human nature and human needs, keep on their
irresistible course. Connection in all depart
uents OF human activity Is not to be suppressed
me individual manufacturer who is tempted INTO
he unusually profitable business Of the trust viii
AXE care oi the monopoly question and prevent
injury t. The nation. The trust, 20 far j. ag-
yregatiou and enlargement 60 is one dav 20 be
recognized a grand step toward cheaper prod
nets for the people than could have been OBJ
aimed by any Other mode than thu aggregation
II capital ard establishments. Already the ghosts
Il numerous departed trusts which aimed at
nonopoies have marched across the stage of hui
ran affairs, each pointing 70 its fatal wound
Inflicted by that great corrective. competition.
ike the ghosts Of Macbeihs victims, the line
PROMISES to stretch longer and longer. and alS)
ike those phantow= Of the brain. they come
ike shadows, 80 depart
-" The earth hath babbles as tbr water hath,
And these are Of them.
''1ho inasses Of the people. The toilinc millions
re soon 70 ind IN this great Law of aggregation
II capital and Of factories another ol those
,cneicen; agencies which in thsir operation tend
o bring To the homes o: the poor in greater de /
yree than ever. more and more Of the luNuries
Il the rich and into their lives more Of sweet
ness and light. The only people who have reason
o fear trusts those who TINS, them
We think II safe to pass lightly over all
Of that part of the peroration which pre-
,edes the last sentence. The common peo-
pie may be impressed or otherwise by the
prophecy of St. Andrew-that the trusts
and monopolies are shortly TO be to the
poor agencies for the dissemination of
comfort. luxt y, sweetness. and light. But
universal acceptance VIII surely mark the
declaration with which the Carnegieu tract
closes: The only people who have reason
% fear trusts are those who trust them"
Well, the American people. then. suppcsing
hem able 10 control their own Congress,
iced not fear the trusts, because they do
rot trust them and If the chance is ever
,ffered will see that laws are passed 10
estrlct, regulate, and render them less
dangerous than they are seen TO be today
wen in the light of their able defence by
he Croesus OF Skibo.
The Geological Park.
Ernest Seton Thompson, in his recently