The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-10-19

other people. And all this merely means
that we are more civilized than any other
people. In our cities we discovered that we
could better facilitate business by having
many onlces and stores under a single roof
tnan under separate roofs. Capital. re-
sponded 10 that business need, and so the
period OF great buildings I'm our cities de-
veloped; and to-day the wealth. the enter
prise and the business of a city is well
measured by the number and magnitude OF
wnat is called its great buildings: This Is
the simplest form OF what is called trust.
Ch our farms the farmer discovered
tnat his reaper was better than
scythe: that the thresher was better than
nan; That the stacker was better than a
pi'chIofh. And all these wiZard-ltke aids 10
the science of farming-for farming is a
sclence-have been adopted by the Amer
lcan farmer. And yet these devices for SIM
plliIying the science of farming are merely
the development on the farm OF the
same great movement of which the
great building is the development in the
city: Inc workingnran discovered that as
an individual he was powerless i'm the i'm
portant question of fixing wages, the hours
or work and all the terms of partnership
between labor and capital-for labor and
Capital Is partnership. Workingmen
therefore formed labor organizations, and
when rightly conducted they are one Of the
most beneficial developments of our civili-
zation And yet they are merely the same
development in the world of labor that the
great combinations of capital are In the
world of capital. Railroad men discovered
that by combining many different short and
separate roads better roadbeds could be Sc
cured, through trains made possible, fast
er time attained. better service given,
cheaper rates on freight secured. and yet
more employment, better wages and larger
profits to those who operated the railroad;
and so almost every railroad In this coun-
try has been absorbed into great systems.
And this is merely the same development
In the world of transportation that the Ia
Dor organization is in the world of labor.
And II may be that the day will come when
every employee of every department store
in America will be a stakeholder In the
corporation, as is the case In France The
Illinois Central Railroad has already be-
gun TO divide its profits among Its en-
ployes, thus making every employe of that
great railroad. in practical effect a stock
holder in the enterprise. All of these devel-
opments on the farm, in the store, on the
railroad. in the whole world of our indus
trial development have their roots
In the increasing intelligence of the
pendence upon each other which our
advancing civilization brings; and they
ought to be full of blessings for all man.
kind: But in their development evils have
developed just as evils have attended every
advance of human progress; No man is
perfect No nation is perfect. No society
is perfect. Not even all the people of the
world are perfect. Their progress Is full
of crudities.
ATTITUDE OF PARTIES.
WHAT now Is the ATTITUDE Oh the TWO
great parties on this elemental social and
industrial question? The difference between
the party of construction and the party of
destruction on this great issue of trusts, Of
which the instances 1 have given are
amples, is that the party of construction
says that the evil shall be remedied with
out destroying the principle of good which
runs through ALL and the party of destruc-
ton says that this whole development
should be absolutely destroyed. According
to the party of destruction. instead of the
great building, We must go back TO the
many little and separate buildings;
instead of great railway systems.
we must go back to the many dangerous,
badly-served roads of which
1t was formed: instead of the organizations
OF labor. must have EACH workingman
caring for no one but himself. Instead of
permitting great combinations of capital to
do their proper work, by which alone great
enterprises are possible, by which alone
great bridges have been built across the
widest rivers, by which alone cables have
been laid under all the seas, by which alone
that network of intelligence called the tele-
graph has been woven all around the
globe, by which alone the floating palaces
OF great ship lines travel the ocean high
ways of the world, all are to be dissolved
and each man for himself, with what little
W
significant Industrial results. In other
words, all the forces of civilization are to
be reversed. We are not to stand still; we
are to run backward to where mankind be-
gan If this is not true, then there is no
logic in the proposition of the party of de-
struction. But II Is not question whether
this is true or not; 1T is openly declared by
the leader of modern Democracy that his
purpose is to make war upon that develop
ment of which the combination of capital is
single and not the most important in
stance. Is that the programme which ap-
peals to the young men of this country?
sources? VIII that best aid in the happiness
of man? VIII that best serve the interests
and glory of the American people-aye, will
that best serve the immediate and present
interests and future career of young men
themselves?
TRUSTS AND YOUNG MEN.
1T is the plea of the party Of destruction
that this development OF our civilization
takes all opportunities for advancement
away from the young men. 1 am willing to
leave that to the young man himself Sup
pose a young man has neither money.
friends nor any asset but his industry. his
courage, his honor and his ability. Would
he have as great an opportunity If all these
combinations were destroyed. as he had
to-day?
If you answer that the weakness of my
argument is that it would now be impos-
sible for him to succeed with his little shop,
even If he could start one, would answer
that ii is the testimony of statistics that
the neighborhood store and specialists
shop thrive now in numbers and profit bet
ter than ever before in the history of trade.
In former times the majority of small
stores were constantly failing, although
they were charging the consumer more for
the merchandise they sold. but the small
than ever now because they are doing their
natural and legitimate work. just as silver
is used now more than ever before because
it Is now doing It's natural and legitimate
work.
Would the young man have greater OPP
portunities in the hundred separate black
smith shops which used to produce the
crude plows of this section of the
Nation or In the great Oliver chilled
pow works of our State with fits regi-
ments of employees, its heads of depart
ments, it's distributing agencies. and all
the ramifications of its vast industry? /
put ii to the young man himself: Would
position in one Of the blacksmith shops
which used to make plows. or In this great
manufacturing organization! Would there
be better opportunity for advancement or
one of the little bankrupt railroads of the
olden time than or the tremendous Penn
sylvania system, whose operation absolute
ly demands the freshest thought. keenest
alertness and the most willing industry?
There is just one element that
these great concerns absolutely need
and that is young blood. young brain.
young energy and young nerve.
The head of great company in
head of certain financial institution