Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-09-02

giant MONOPOLY as the Unitsi States
Steel corporation should exist is a
grievous wrong, that the gain through
economy OF production is more than
overcome by giving power to monop-
oiies TO fix the price of products and
of forcing and rate of wages they may
choose on their helpless victim. He
recalls that q joint trahhc association
Of the nine lines OF railroad between
New York and Chicago owned by thir-
~ corporations Of two and a half bill
lions Of dollars; hew the judges of the
supreme court FIVE TO four declared ii
Illegal; how they tried 10 get it made
legal though it was never done; and
how the illegal corporation still exists.
He affrms that if we allow vast aggre-
cations OF capital IL will necessitate
vast bodies Of organized laborers. and
declares they should all be stopped and
that we should fall back to the old rule
of competition that protects both oper-
ators and laborers and consumers. The
remedy he proposes is that State Leg
islatures shall determine how much
bonds and stock any corporation shall
be permitted to issue and limit the
business 1t can do.
1t is a great question. and | think
I am right when l say that we are
close to the limit OF dependence on law
to relieve us, but we must look TO 1t
still at least for a while, and try again
and use our suffrage once more. There
is nothing political here and yet
want to say a thing or two that may
not please so much as II will enlishten
We have been getting ready for this
condition of things for many a year.
Our policy OF protection to infant in
dustries, the prosperity cry, the dispo-
sition to look at the surface and not
deep enough to see what we were build
ing. have made possible that which has
come to pass. Ii would be better for
present conditions favorable to the
working men, II there were more poll
ties than now. II 1t were Presidential
year you would sign your mills all
right, and prosperity would once more
win. This question of labor and cap
ital is troubling the administration.
Some are for removing protection from
all products of the corporation. Bills
OF that kind are already in draft. The
President favors, II reports are true, a
milder form of the same thing. We are
in the throes OF an industrial revolt
ton. and some will suffer. Let us
pray that such an adjustment will fol-
low as will give equity and right.
But In these dark times there are
rays of light, and there are hills OF
hope rather than dark caverns of de-
spafr. All the people are affected in
all trades, arts and professions. All
are concerned, all are aroused and
thinking a way out of the meshes OF the
web OF industrial slavery to the sweet
fields of emancipation beyond. There is
a great antitrust wal rumbling through
all the ranges OF society. The antitrust
league is OF no small dimensions al
ready. Gen. Lew Wallace. Of Indiana,
and Mr.. Johnson, mayor of Cleveland,
are representative men in it. That
league ought to include every toiler OF
our land.
But what shall we do in the present
crisis? Where shall We look for the erA
and when will it come? There will be
a call FOR great patience and forbear-
ance. Labor has no alternative but to
combine or go to the wall. Labor with
| out being organized was for ages great
" oppressed, and would be again. These
organizations ought to be, must be, but
they are not always tolerant. There
will be hot heads in every sucn oody
| that have little sense and are hard to
restrain by their fellow-workmen OF
more sense and brains. Here there Is
danger and to this point strong innu-
ence is needed 10 prevent an outbreak
| Moral s1rasion may be used to prevent a
break in the ranks and a start OF the
| mills with non-union labor, but 1t
| should go no further. 1t is undemon-
cratic and ~subversive OF our liberties
and the genius Of our institutions.
The state will interfere and preserve
order. and 1t must II we have order. 1t
is a time Cor the exercise OF great SELF
! restraint and for the relegation OF the
hotheads to the rear. Every riot is a
lost battle for the strikers. 1t is a pat
tie royal between muscle and the money
power. 1t is the old problem OF the IT.
resi.table force and the immoveable Cd
ieet-a time for wisdom in the hlgh
councils and for compromise. We DO
not just see how compulsory arbitra-
ton can be OF service. 1t is a time for
concilatory measures, and yet an ADJUST
ment now would only postpone the
troaIble to a later date, for while men
denend on b~enevolence for favors that
are theirs Of right, they are slaves
xhsther these favo CT me from a
a corporation or a Congress.