Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1901-08-06
Trusts, Their Cause and the
Remedy.

In the March Arena for 1898, Hon.
Marion Butler, United States Senator
from North Carolina, discussed this
entire question with ability and fore
sight that is in advance of what has
been said or written upon the subject
by any other who has attempted 1T.
The famous Lexow antitrust COM
mittee appointed by the New York
legislature, after many months of pre-
tended investigation, made lengthy
report, denouncing trusts as the over
shadowing evils Of the age, yet closed
by reporting that in the opinion of
the committee the legislature was
powerless to correct the evil and that
the only remedy lay in congress.
In his last annual message in De-
cember 1895, president Cleveland
warned the people against this grow
ing menace to our industries and to
our government, but closed by saying
that congress was powerless to remove
the evil, and that the remedy was
with the legislatures of the states.
In his inaugural that followed short
ly after this, president Mckinley ar
raigned and denounced the trusts even
more severely than his predecessor,
declaring that this monster, this
blighting curse should be plucked
from our industrial system, but sug-
geStS no remedy.
From their language a person would
naturally infer they were both honest
ly opposed to trusts, yet both of them
favor the causes that produce trusts,
both are the apoligists, supporters
and defenders Of the evil agencies
that produce trusts, and both were
nominated and elected by the trusts,
both were owned by the trusts, and
neither of them ever made to congress
a recommendation Of any remedy.
True, the republicans gave the coun-
try what is known as the Sherman
antitrust law which they asserted
would put an end to the trusts. 1t
did the. trusts no injury. The Cleve-
land democrats gave the country a
law In addition to the Sherman law,
both of which are in full force on the
statute books, but are barren of re-
suits, because neither one is directed
at the cause that produce trusts.
A law prohibiting water from run
ming down hill would be impossible
unless it changed the laws of gravita-
tion. So trust legislation that leaves
in force the evil laws on which the
trusts feed and fatten, is for them
what grayitation Is toward Fastening
water down hill.
NOW WHAT is A TRUST?
1t is a scheme or device whose puf-
pose is to establish complete control
of any line Of business, so that it can
crush out all kinds of competition,
and regulate not only the price of the
manufactured article, but also the
price of the raw material bought from
its producers. This is typical mod
ern trust
But the important inquiry Isl How
can corporation get complete mo-
nopoly of any line of business? II all
the people have equal opportunities
a trust would be impossible. To make
trusts successful, 30 that a few may
dominate and control millions of peo-
pie, the jec must first get control of the
instruments Of commerce. This will en-
able them to control commerce and
destroy all competition, and control
all kinds of business at will. The
vital instruments of commerce are
three, Money, Transportation, Trans
mission Of Intelligence. The first is mon
ey--the measure of value, the vital
eleineAt In every business transaction