Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1900-03-02

b
HAVE THE TRUSTS DESTROYED
4JHE YOUNG MANS CHANCE2
Wherever 60 hear the desparing
story of the once independent man who
lis being thrust out of business by the
relentless trust system. He must sell
{ ont and become clerk or he will be
crushed.
This is scientific, but is it compatible
with republican institution? How
long can q democratic republic last
sitter the right or the opportunity to
\ compete for wealth or power has been
effectually destroyed, when young
man can no longer expect to establish
h q independant business for himself?
hat has become Of the young men
ssof America if the trust system is to go
ssssunrestainedG Are they all to become
hired men, all except those who control
the vast combinations of corporate
wealth which daily increase in
poVer?
hen this Government was formed
sAisyslem of independent statehood was
Instituted for the purpose Of preventing
! too much concentration of power in
the hands Of few officials. But the
concentration which the founders of
the Republic dreaded has come in an
other way It must be plain to every
man who takes the trouble to think for
himself that the trust system has al
ready partly destroyed industrial and
commercial liberty in the United
States, that it's vast enginery is rapidly
crushing out the principle of individ-
ual proprietorship. When combina-
ton Of corporations, working steadily
toward the accomplishment of absolute
monopoly representing a capitalized
value of two billions Of dollars) stands
stoutly.to the support Of one political
party and furnishes millions and mil
lions of dollars to corruption fund
) for the intrenchment of that political
p2sy in control of the Government,
Dfe shall the young man who wants
Mset up in business as his own master
turn his face?
Senator Hanna saws that the trusts
are good thing and should be "let
alone" He has said that again and
again in public and in private. But
Mr. Hanna gets his gigantic political
fund from the trusts, He is not an i'm
partial witness. President Mckinley
stands by the trusts But Mr.. Nc
Kinley owes his nomination and elec-
ton largely to the trusts. He is bound
to them by ties of eelf-interest and graf
itude. No man can fairly expect him
to turn upon his political creators.
Where, then. shall the young man
turn who wants chance in life? The
Supreme Court Of the Unites States has
said, in commanding the Federal anti
trust law:
\ 1t is not for the real prosperity Of any
country that such changes should occur
which result in transforming an i'm
nortant business man, the head of his
e Enlistment, small though it may be,
il 10 mere sevant or agent Of q corpor-
alton for selling the commodities which
he once manufactured or held in, hav
ing no voice in shaping the business
policy of the company and bound to
obey orders issued by others. Nor is it
for the substantial interests of the
country that any one commodity should
be within the sole power and subject
to the sole will of the combination of
capital.
That is the language Of the Supreme
Court of the United States, the final
interpreter Of the fundamental law of
the nation. It is simple. It is clear.
Shall the young man turn to the Su-
preme Court3 Alasl the AttorneyGen
eral, whose business it is to set in mo-
tion the orderly processes of the law
before the Supreme Court can act,
agrees with Mr. Hanna that the trusts
should be ''let alone" The Supreme
Court has spoken, but it can only act
when the Attorney General drags a
criminal trust before the bar, of the
court. So the antitrust law lies dead
on \he statute books, a horrible joke.
1bday it is actually in the power Of
VI Rockefeller or Mr.. Havemeyer or
Mr.Armour to say to an American
citizen: 'You shall not engage in the
oil refining business or the beef slaugh-
tering or packing business except as
my agent" This is literally true.
These three businesses are closed to
American citizens. The steel trade, the
tobacco trade, the leather trade, the
wire trade, the woolen trade, the glass
trade, the lumber trade, the broom
trade and many other branches of IN
dustry are being closed to competition.
No new man may enter save as a
salaried employe.
No man can honestly and fairly OBJ
ject to the improvements and economies
ine manufacture and distribution |